BKMT READING GUIDES
The Silent Woman: A gripping historical fiction full of drama
by Terry Lynn Thomas
Kindle Edition : 384 pages
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Catherine Carlisle is trapped in a loveless marriage and the threat of World War Two is looming. She sees no way out… that is until a trusted friend asks her to switch her husband’s papers in a desperate bid to confuse the Germans. Soon Catherine finds ...
Introduction
Would you sell your secrets?
Catherine Carlisle is trapped in a loveless marriage and the threat of World War Two is looming. She sees no way out… that is until a trusted friend asks her to switch her husband’s papers in a desperate bid to confuse the Germans. Soon Catherine finds herself caught up in a deadly mixture of espionage and murder. Someone is selling secrets to the other side, and the evidence seems to point right at her. Can she clear her name before it’s too late?
Excerpt
Chapter OneMarry in haste, repent at leisure, says the bird in the gilded cage. The words – an apt autobiography to be sure – ran round and round in Cat Carlisle’s head. She pressed her forehead against the cold windowpane and scanned the street in front of her house. Her eyes roamed the square, with its newly painted benches and gnarled old trees leafed out in verdant June splendour. A gang of school-aged boys kicked a ball on the grass, going out of their way to push and shove as they scurried along. They laughed with glee when the tallest of the group fell on his bum, turned a somersault, popped back up, and bowed deeply to his friends. She smiled and pushed away the longing that threatened whenever a child was near. ... view entire excerpt...
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think Cat was reckless when she agreed to help Reginald steal the documents? Was she too quick to trust him?2. Do you think Cat has the ability to be a good spy? What attributes does she have that will help or hinder her in this endeavour?
3. Did you feel any sympathy towards Marie Quimby?
4. Compare the social constructs of 1937 to the social constructs of today. Have things changed for women? If so, how?
5. Do you see any feminist themes running through this story, such as Cat’s sense of being trapped, and her need to escape her current situation?
6. Discuss the different social expectations between Isobel, Marie, and Annie Havers. Which of these characters has the most pressure to act a certain way? How do you think those social pressures affect the outcome of the story?
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