by Andrea Hurst
5. Lily develops a “surrogate family” on Madrona Island. Who does her new family consist of? Has anyone ever adopted you as a “surrogate” mother, sister, or daughter? Do you have people in your life who are “surrogate” family members to you?
6. In Lily’s family, three generations of women have made choices based largely around the men in their lives. How has each woman’s decision impacted her and those around her?
7. There are several generational parallels through The Guestbook, including Lily and her mother both being abandoned for other women; Lily and her grandmother’s passion with food and care-taking; and Lily and Ian finding the same second chance at love their grandparents had enjoyed years before. Why might a younger generation parallel their parentage? Has your life paralleled your parents’ or grandparents’ lives in any way?
8. While Lily’s grandmother wasn’t physically present for most of The Guestbook, her presence was often felt. How did Lily’s grandmother guide her using the guestbook as a medium? Have you ever felt someone from the other side guiding you in your life?
9. Because of Brad’s infidelity, Lily has had difficulty trusting Ian not to hurt her in the same way. By the end of the book, do you feel Lily can truly trust Ian?
10. How has Lily grown by the end of The Guestbook? What other characters have shown growth in this book? How so?
11. Was Kyla right in keeping her illness from her friends? Why or why not?
12. Jude feels an immediate attraction to her new employee, Chef Ryan. How would you handle romantic feelings for someone you had to work with on a daily basis?
13. At the beginning of this story, when Lily “takes the wheel” of her Honda to leave Brad, she is essentially taking the wheel of her life. Symbols emerge throughout The Guestbook, from nature imagery to the soul-warming cooking of food. What symbols emerged for you and how did they deepen the meaning of the story?
14. In The Guestbook, John and Grandma Maggie–as well as Lily and Ian–get a second chance at love. Do you believe each person has one soul mate, or is it possible to find another love? Share the stories of people you know.
15. Is it possible to have it all–your job, your talent, your passion, your love, and your dreams? Or is sacrifice inevitable? To what extent should a person sacrifice him/herself in the name of love, if at all?
16. How does setting play an important role in this story? Is Madrona Island a place you would like to visit?
Please visit Madrona Island at
http://www.madronaislandBandB.com
or
http://www.andreahurst-author.com
When not visiting local farmers markets or indulging her love for chocolate, ANDREA HURST is an author and literary agent. Her passion for books drives her to find and write stories that take readers on a journey to another place and leave them with an unforgettable impression. She is a developmental editor for publishers and authors, an instructor in creative writing at the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, and a webinar presenter for Writers Digest. She lives with her dachshunds in the Pacific Northwest, on an island much like the fictional Madrona, with all of its natural beauty and small town charm.
Her published books include The Lazy Dog’s Guide to Enlightenment and Everybody’s Natural Food Cookbook, and she co-authored A Book of Miracles. To learn more about Andrea and her books, visit http://www.AndreaHurst-Author.comor http://www.andreahurst.com.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Epilogue
The story continues in the Madrona Island Trilogy
Grandma Maggie’s Baking Company
Inn Style Cookies
Mt. Rainier Cookies
Lavender Orange French Toast
Fennel Sausage Frittata
Acknowledgements
