BKMT READING GUIDES
Star Bright
by Catherine Anderson
Mass Market Paperback : 432 pages
1 club reading this now
2 members have read this book
Introduction
Faking her own death is the only way Rainie Hall can hope to escape her brutal, murderous husband. Now, with a new identity, she finds refuge in the rural community of Crystal Falls, Oregon, where she starts work on a horse ranch run by rugged, dangerously good-looking Parker Harrigan. Parker's word is his honor, and he can't tolerate liars. When he realizes that Rainie hasn't been truthful with him, he's furious, then concerned. Clearly she's a woman in trouble, and if she'll trust him, he'll do right by her. But as their initial attraction blossoms into a deep and thrilling passion, Rainie fears that she can never escape retribution from the man who has sworn to kill her. Parker swears to protect Rainie no matter what, but even he can't help wondering whether all his strength and ingenuity can save the love of his life from a determined psychopath....
Excerpt
Once Rainie settled in to work, she found it difficult to concentrate. She kept expecting her boss to storm into the office to confront her about all the lies she’d told on her application. What would she say to him? I’m sorry I fibbed? It wasn’t in Rainie’s nature to deceive people, so she had no experience in how to handle it when the truth came out. Parker Harrigan struck her as being a direct, honest man. He wouldn’t be happy if he discovered that she’d played him for a chump. ...
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Discussion Questions
When Parker realized he was falling in love with Rainie, whom he suspected might be married, did you agree with his decision that her marriage to her abuser was not sacred? Or did you feel that Parker should have backed off and honored her union with the man who had almost destroyed her?When Rainie found it difficult to see her distorted reflection in the side of the chrome toaster and you finally discovered why, did you understand her emotional reaction? Or did you feel that she should have just toughened up and discounted her recurring nightmare about seeing distorted images of strangers instead of herself in a House of Mirrors?
In the epilogue, when you saw Rainie with her long-lost grandfather and finally learned why Rainie's father had severed ties with her grandparents, did you feel that her father had been right to cut off all contact with his parents, who disapproved of and wouldn't accept his wife? Or did you feel that they were justified in disapproving of her and not accepting her? And, lastly, did you agree with Rainie's decision to give them another chance-a chance that they had refused to give her mother?
Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
STAR BRIGHT is about a woman's spirit, how she can be demoralized and arise from the ashes like a phoenix. Often people categorize abused women as head cases who choose abusive men. It's true that some feel drawn to men like that, but the majority are targeted by sweet-talkers. The victims feel that life is train wreck they never saw coming. They become trapped because our judicial system offers them little protection, and law enforcement officers often shrug and walk away, believing the lies of the husband and that important men can't be monsters. Wrong. Their victims may be in horrible danger if they try to leave. These women are browbeaten and come to believe they are ugly and stupid. It takes so much courage for them to escape, and it takes even more courage to reclaim their sense of self. I wanted this book to be a tribute to women-to our strength, our resilience, and our ability to fight back. I want readers to come away with a better understanding of their sisters who have been victimized and also with the knowledge that they, too, have it within them to rise from the ashes. We are incredibly strong!Book Club Recommendations
Recommended to book clubs by 5 of 5 members.
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