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Book Jacket

The Rose Arbor

An investigation into a girl's disappearance uncovers a mystery dating back to ...

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Discuss The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen

What did you think about Liz’s attitude toward her employment at the newspaper? What would you have done, job-wise, if you’d been in her shoes?

18

Aug. 30, 2024
by lauriem

To get involved with the case of Little Lucy, Liz suggests pretending to accidentally bump into Marisa in Dorset, and have Marisa invite her to tag along with her and DI Jones (p.19). What did you think of this plan?

16

Aug. 30, 2024
by lauriem

Liz isn’t sure if she’s having real flashes of memory or channeling one of the missing children. Mr. Bennington observes that his late wife would try to contact their dead son. Do you believe it’s possible to contact the departed?

18

Aug. 30, 2024
by lauriem

Overall, what did you think of The Rose Arbor?

30

Aug. 30, 2024
by lauriem

Marisa is amazed no one saw Lucy go missing. Do you think this has changed much in large cities since the 1960s? Do you think people are more or less likely to notice something amiss?

18

Aug. 30, 2024
by lauriem

What did you think of Liz’s idea to create an “Obituary of a Murdered Village” (p.170)?

21

Aug. 30, 2024
by lauriem

When any of the former residents of Tydeham discuss their relocation, they don’t seem bitter. Why do you think this is? How do you think most would react to similar deprivations today?

13

Aug. 30, 2024
by lauriem

Were you aware of the WWII practice of taking over villages and using them for target practice? If not, did this surprise you?

30

Aug. 30, 2024
by lauriem

Did you believe Liz’s father’s version of the events? Do you think he responded correctly once he found out Liz knew the truth about her origins? What would you have done in his shoes? In Liz’s?

14

Aug. 28, 2024
by PamelaHD

If you were to write a sequel to The Rose Arbor, what elements would it include?

11

Aug. 25, 2024
by mtnluvr

James and Liz discuss how coincidental it was that they met. Do you believe in fate or coincidence? Was there a time in your own life where things might have turned out differently, based on something small that occurred to sway your actions?

9

Aug. 23, 2024
by irisf

If you were making a movie of The Rose Arbor, who would you cast in the various roles?

2

Aug. 23, 2024
by JHSiess

For what audience would you recommend The Rose Arbor? Are there other novels you’d recommend that are similar to this one, either in content or writing style?

14

Aug. 23, 2024
by JHSiess

Two of the girls in the story were raised by someone other than their real mothers. Do you think either would have been happier being raised by their birth mothers?

6

Aug. 23, 2024
by JHSiess

To get a better view of the village, Liz climbs past a barbed wire fence. Did this surprise you? If you’d been in her position, would you have dared do likewise?

13

Aug. 23, 2024
by JHSiess

Were there any quotes that stood out to you, or anything you highlighted? Why did those passages connect for you?

1

Aug. 23, 2024
by JHSiess

What did you think about the resolution to Jenny’s storyline (“[N]o good can come of recriminations at this point” p. 340). Do you think all parties acted with good intentions?

9

Aug. 23, 2024
by JHSiess

Early on, Liz finds out that the man who’s been romancing her is married. She confronts him later in the book. What did you think of this conversation? How would you have handled it?

17

Aug. 23, 2024
by freyah

Marisa, Liz and Army Corporal Dave discuss the hippie movement, which none of the characters seem to support. Do you think this accurately reflects the views of the time period? What did you think of the portrayal of the 1960s counter-culture?

10

Aug. 23, 2024
by JHSiess

Liz’s father asks her to move home several times throughout the novel, both before and after her mother’s death. Why do you feel this was? Did you think there was any motivation beyond simply missing his daughter?

13

Aug. 23, 2024
by JHSiess

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