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Golden State: A Novel

by Stephanie Kegan

Published: 2015-02-17
Hardcover : 304 pages

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Introduction

Growing up in the 1960s in one of California’s most prominent political families, Natalie Askedahl worshipped her big brother, Bobby, a sensitive math prodigy who served as her protector and confidante. After Bobby left home on a Princeton scholarship, something changed between them. Now that Natalie is happily married with a career and two young daughters, her only real regret is losing Bobby. Then, a bomb explodes in the middle of her seemingly ideal life. Her oldest daughter is on the Stanford campus when one person is killed and another maimed. Other bombings follow across California. Frightened for her family, Natalie grows obsessed with the case until she makes an unthinkable discovery that splits her life permanently into before and after.

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Discussion Questions

1. Natalie’s discovery places her in a crushing moral dilemma. If you suspected a family member of committing a crime, how would you react?

2. Bobby’s incarceration and trial have a drastic impact on Natalie’s family. How do the events in the novel impact her relationship with her husband and daughters? How does this differ from its impact on her relationship with her sister and mother?

3. Discuss how you feel about Natalie’s decision to speak about her family and their history to the reporter. Do you feel she made the right decision? Why or why not?

4. Throughout the novel, Natalie is torn between her loyalty to her family with Eric and her to loyalty to her original family. Do you feel more sympathetic to Eric’s position in the novel or Natalie’s? Discuss why. Although Natalie’s predicament is extreme, is the pull between families a situation that you are familiar with?

5. Natalie is in the difficult position of explaining this situation to her children. If you were facing her situation, at what point in your family history would you begin? How would your explanation differ depending on the ages of the children? Did you agree with the way Natalie framed it to her daughters?

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Member Reviews

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"The Read 'Em and Weep Book Club Review-July 2016"by Carla O. (see profile) 09/13/16

I won ten copies of this book for my book club on BookMovement.com The author sent me a sweet note with the box of books and I told her we would read the book and give her an honest review.

... (read more)

"Thoughtful and Perceptive"by ELIZABETH V. (see profile) 02/15/24

I've had GOLDEN STATE hiding in my bookcase since 2015. I forgot about it. But now I've finally read it and can only wonder why I haven't heard more about Stephanie Kegan, this wonderful wri... (read more)

"What would you do"by Mary Ann O. (see profile) 07/02/16

When you hear about catastrophic events in the news caused by a single individual or two I've often wondered what happens to the families of these individuals. How do they cope? How do they feel? How... (read more)

"Golden State"by Sandra F. (see profile) 06/06/16

About 100 pages in and really enjoying this...author makes the characters come alive and I LOVE she didn't resort to the time shift thing to fill us in on the past, but makes it part of the story as you... (read more)

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