Introduction

This edition includes a Reader's Guide with book club discussion questions. 2013 Readers’ Choice Award Nominee—BigAl’s Books & Pals From the author of "A Whisper to a Scream" comes a story about growing up, making peace with your past, and finding a little love along the way. In her first novel, Karen Wojcik Berner introduced book club members Sarah and Annie. Now, it’s time for another bibliophile to take center stage. Catherine Elbert has never been good at making decisions, whether it was choosing an ice cream flavor as a small child, or figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. The only thing Catherine knew for sure was there had to be more to life than being stuck on her family’s farm in Wisconsin.  While watching a PBS travel show, Catherine becomes entranced by Portland, Maine. The ocean. The lobsters. The rugged coast. Nothing could be more different from the flat, nondescript farmlands of Burkesville. Despite her parents threatening to disown her and her brothers taking bets on how many days until she comes home, Catherine settles on Peaks Island, off the coast of Portland. She was finally free.  Or so she thought. Unlike most series that follow one character through various adventures, each novel in the Bibliophiles series focuses on one or two members of a suburban classics book club, revealing their personal stories while the group explores tales spun by the masters.

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Excerpt

Chapter One

Burkesville, Wisconsin
1985

It takes a lot of effort to be ordinary-looking. Catherine performed the same morning routine the pretty girls did. The same shampoo, conditioner, blow dry, style, spray. The same moisturizer, concealer, foundation, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick. She checked herself out in the mirror. Ugh, still me. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. An overbearing mother and a distant father. What do you think of young Catherine's perception of her parents, Clara and Hank?

2. The seventeen-year-old Catherine describes her farm town as sanctimonious and "smug, full of hypocrisy and stupidity." Is she reacting as many teenagers normally would, growing up in a small town with "traditional values"? Or is there something different about Catherine's attitude?

3. Burkesville is a boring town with nothing to offer her except a life just like her mother's, thinks Catherine. What kind of future do Clara and Hank want for Catherine? What does Catherine envision for herself?

4. When Hank forbids Catherine to play the role of Ado Annie in the school play, Oklahoma!, what reasons does he give? Why does she think her parents treat her differently from her brothers?

5. Catherine's mother discusses college scholarships with her and tells her, "You're not good enough for a full ride." Catherine feels her mother is scornful of her. Do you think this is true? Does Catherine herself exhibit any scornful attitudes?

6. Are you surprised at her parents' reaction when Catherine decides to leave home for good? What has fueled her decision, and has she has made the right choice?

7. There is freedom, a job, and new friends in Maine for Catherine, a happy situation that does not last. How does her advice to her coworker Patsy destroy her friendship with her employer Katie McLellan? Do you think Catherine's advice to Patsy about Scott was genuine or fueled by self interest?

8. In San Diego, Catherine meets her new love interest, Will, at her workplace, the San Diego Zoo. How does this job help Catherine develop and grow?

9. Is Catherine right in being angry with Will for keeping secrets from her about his family? Is her reaction to Will's family reasonable? Are you sympathetic or not with her complaints?

10. Catherine returns to Burkesville for the first time to attend her father's funeral. Has her mother changed her attitude toward Catherine after all this time? Clara says that Catherine has always been ungrateful, even as a child. Do you agree or disagree with Clara's assessment of her daughter?

11. After her marriage and move to Naperville, Catherine begins to reconsider her life and to wonder what make her happy or unhappy. Does this self questioning lead to a gradual change in Catherine's attitudes and activities?

12. Catherine felt out of place both in the farm town of Burkesville and in the sophisticated surroundings of Will's home in Naperville. Why does she feel more at home in her area of Naperville?

13. How does Edwina Hipplewhite and the Classics Book Club influence Catherine's new life?

14. The title of the book is Until My Soul Gets It Right. Discuss what it may mean in terms of Catherine's story—her family in Burkesville, her estranged friends in Portland, Maine, and her current life in Naperville.

15. At the end of the book, to what degree has Catherine reached the goal suggested by the book's title?

Weblinks

»	Author Karen Berner's web site
»	Follow Karen Wojcik Berner on Facebook

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