Summary and Reviews of Where the Light Enters by Sara Donati

Chapter 1

Later, when people asked about her travels, Sophie would put it simply: the trip to Europe as a bride was hazy in her memory, but she would never forget the voyage home as a widow.

To travel from an alpine village some six thousand feet above sea level to a port on the Mediterranean was not a simple undertaking in winter with so many of the mountain passes closed, but it went without incident: first by sleigh down mountainsides on narrow, winding roads to the river valley, then by rail from Chur to Zürich where she spent the night in the Hotel Widder. On the second morning she traveled by rail to Lucerne, where she took a room at the Schweizerhof Hotel. It was small but elegant, with a comfortable bed in which she found no rest.

When the train left the station early the next day she studied the city, awash in snow flurries, swaddled in low clouds that hid the lake from view and robbed Lucerne of its charms. She could not find any way to feel about the city or the country....

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The title of the book comes from a quote attributed to Rumi: "The wound is the place where the light enters." In the story, who is wounded, and what light are those people finding or failing to find?
2. The shipwreck survivors—Catherine Bellegarde in particular—awaken the sleeping physician inside Sophie. Would this have happened on its own, in time? Or did she need something to jolt her from that slumber?
3. Elise plays many parts in the story. She's finding her way in a new life and profession, and experiencing many things for the first time. How does she change from the beginning of the book to the end? What do you think of her chosen path in medical science?
4. Rosa and Lia name houses for things that are apparent to the eye: ...

Please be aware that this discussion may contain spoilers!

See what our members are saying about this book in our Community Forum.

What audience would you recommend The Frozen River to? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
I think anyone that enjoys stories based on true events or people, or "period pieces" too. A book that maybe has a similar feel is, Where the Light Enters, by Sara Donati.
-Jill

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Here are some of the comments posted about Where the Light Enters in our legacy forum.
You can see the full discussion here.


"A woman who puts her profession before raising [her] children has no grounds for complaint when they are taken away." Do you find this sentiment is still present today at some level?
Although today children are not taken away from professional women, in many other ways the children sail out of sight for some professional women who leave the upbringing of their children to the care of Nannies, who are not always the best choice ... - evelyng

Anthony Comstock expended great time and energy on arresting and prosecuting physicians, midwives, and pharmacists. What do you think are his real motivations? What drives him? Do any of his reasons continue to have validity today?
I think he was a despicable character but necessary to the plot. Unfortunately, there are still people out there today who are prejudiced, egotistical, and refused to accept change in society because it would undermine his power and authority. - dorothyl

Ask the Author
I have read The Wilderness series, the two new books about Sophie and Anna, and some of your blogs. My husband was a big fan, too, and we shared your wonderful Elizabeth Bonner from the beginning to almost the end. When it seemed certain that ... - crisandy5

Cap writes to Rosa that "When hard things come along someone always has to be the strong one, the one who takes charge..." Do you agree with this statement? Do you feel Rosa is capable of filling this role?
Bless Rosa's heart, she has had too much to carry on her young shoulders. She will be strong with her siblings, but she will need the strong adults to lean on until she grows up. She is already showing characteristics of becoming "the strong one", ... - crisandy5

Do you think the adults in Rosa's life are doing the right thing for her? How does the fact that Anna and Sophie both lost their parents inform the way they treat her?
I have a little different view on the adults than has already been mentioned here. I find it interesting that Sophie seems to be a lot closer to Rosa than Anna is. I realize that she was staying at Sophie’s house, but it seems like Anna would have ... - mtnluvr