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Reading
and talking about books has always been one of my favorite pursuits.
And as I
was thinking of ways to to give something back and really engage with
readers,
it occurred to me that one of the best ways might be to become an even
more
active participant in your book clubs.
Since
Haunted Ground came out in 2003, I’ve visited
dozens of
local book clubs—and made contact with even more book club readers
across the
country with the help of a speaker phone!
It’s
always a great experience, so with the publication of this special book
club
edition of Lake of Sorrows, I wanted to extend a hand to book
clubs
everywhere. Invite me to your book club, and I’ll be delighted to join
in your
discussion.
Really.
Monday
through Friday, from 7 to 11 p.m. CST, I’ll be available to join your
book club
by phone anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. (Book clubs should have at
least 10
members and a speaker phone.)
Just
contact me directly at: mail@erinhart.com.
Looking
for discussion questions? Check the inside back cover of the new
edition, or directly below.
Of
course, the published discussion questions are only suggestions—you may
have
your own. We can also talk about how the novels came about, the
landcape and
culture of Ireland (especially the bogs and all the riches found
there), the
road to publication, and lots more.
Looking
forward to our chat!
SUGGESTED BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Here's
where book clubs can find questions to get some lively
discussion going. If
your book club comes up with any interesting and provocative discussion
questions, please feel free to send
them to Erin.
Can't
figure out how to say some of the characters' names? Never fear—here's
a handy glossary
and pronunciation guide.
LAKE OF
SORROWS
Reading
Group Guide
1. Lake of
Sorrows opens with a graphic scene: a young man sinking and
eventually drowning
in a bog. After reading the whole story, can you be certain of the
young man’s
identity, or is it still ambiguous? What does the opening chapter
foreshadow
about rest of the book?
2. The
industrial bogs of the Irish midlands provide a most unusual atmosphere
in this
novel. The bog has played many roles in Irish history, as a place of
spirituality, mystery, and commerce. What does this unique environment
contribute
to the story? What elements of the bog landscape can you see reflected
in the
psychological development of the characters?
3. The
bog has
often functioned as hiding place for secret treasure. Many of the
characters in Lake
of Sorrows have hidden or buried physical objects, or intangible
things
like their personal history or emotions. Can you think of examples?
Which are
revealed in this novel, and which still remain buried at its
conclusion? What
do the things people hide reveal about them as characters?
4. Sacrifice
is
one of the major themes in Lake of Sorrows.
The bog that was once a mysterious
place of sacrifice in ancient times is being sacrificed in modern times
to
generate electricity. In what other ways do ideas about sacred
offerings and
sacrifice still resonate in the characters’ daily lives?
5. Nora
wishes
she could see Ireland the way Cormac does, “under the skin of the
landscape
down to the bones.” Later, Theresa Brazil compares the water that runs
in local
bog drains to the lifeblood of the place. Are there other references to
the
earth as a body, a living, corporeal entity? How does this relate to
the theme
of sacrifice?
6. Several
characters in the book draw modern parallels to the ancient practice of
human sacrifice:
war and famine, industrialization, politics, the cult of celebrity. Do
you
think any of these parallels are justified?
7. Early
on in
the story, an ancient corpse is discovered bearing evidence of a grisly
practice known as ‘triple death.’ The number three or the concept of
trinity
appears throughout Lake
of Sorrows. Can you think of other examples? What is
the significance of the number three?
8. Gold
is
another recurring image in the story, both literally and figuratively.
Can you
think of examples? What are the qualities that have given gold such
power and
significance within the human imagination?
9. Bees
and
honey figure prominently in this novel. Discuss their many roles, from
the
mystical to the practical.
10. Nora
comes to
realize early in this story that she does love Cormac, but she is still
haunted
by her sister’s death. Is unfinished business at home in the U.S.
reason enough
for to leave their relationship up in the air, or do you think that
given the
events of this story, Nora has some deeper fears about Cormac’s honesty
and
faithfulness?
11. Several
of
the characters in this story are eccentrics or outcasts: Charlie
Brazil, Rachel
Briscoe, Brona Scully, and even Ursula Downes. What sets these
characters apart
from others, and do you identify with them, even though they are
misunderstood?
12. One
of the
characters, Brona Scully, is mute. How is Brona, despite her lack of
speech,
able to make herself understood, and why do you think some of the other
characters—even
those capable of speech—still struggle to communicate?
13. Michael
Scully is described at one point as carrying on the tradition of the
hereditary
historian. People give him old photographs, letters, and journals,
pieces of
the past they haven’t the heart to dispose of, but don’t want to keep
either.
Do you know anyone who fulfills this kind of a role in your family, in
your
community?
14. Does
Ursula
Downes’ background, including the damaging, abusive relationship with
her
stepfather, make her adult relationships—especially those with men—more
understandable?
15. Charlie
Brazil has always believed that Dominic, the man he knew as his father,
never
felt anything for him. Late in the novel, Charlie is remembering his
narrow
escape from a potentially dangerous situation as a child, and his
father’s
reaction. Do you think Charlie is mistaken about Dominic’s regard for
him?
16. Theresa
Brazil’s life story is told in a single chapter late in the book (the
only part
of the story told from her point of view). Does the drastic action she
takes in
the end make sense, given her history?
17. Does
the
book’s final chapter leave you with a sense of hope for Nora and
Cormac, and
their future together, or or do you have any lingering doubts about
whether
things will work out for them?
18. Which
were
the most memorable scenes in this story? What ideas or images stayed in
your
mind after reading the book? What was the most interesting bit of
insight or
information you gained from reading this story?
19. How
does Erin
Hart’s work fit into tradition of mystery/crime writing, and which
authors—past
or present—would you consider similar in style or tone?
Special
thanks to Maura Fitzgerald, Eileen McIsaac, Nan Roberts, Marsha Moreen,
and Lori Hutchings for their valuable contributions!
 HAUNTED
GROUND
Reading
Group Guide
1.
Consider the title, Haunted Ground. In what ways are
locations and people in the story haunted by the past? Near the end of
the book, Cormac is thinking about all that's taken place around
Bracklyn House: "It was a mistake to imagine the past simply buried
underground. There was that element, yes, but it might be more accurate
to think of it living, breathing, and walking upon the earth as well."
How and why do various remnants of the past remain, and what pieces of
the present day do you imagine will survive into the future?
2.
Because they provide a practically anaerobic environment, Ireland's
peat bogs suspend ordinary processes of decay-preserving for hundreds
or even thousands of years organic materials and objects that would
otherwise disintegrate and disappear. How is the bog used as a metaphor
in this story?
3.
In ancient Irish literature and folklore, the war goddess Badb often
took the shape of a hooded crow—an
appropriate guise, since Badb was well known as a harbinger of death
and devourer of battlefield corpses. How is the presence of crows woven
through the narrative, and what are some of the other themes and
symbols that occur throughout the story?
4.
Each section of Haunted
Ground
opens with a quotation
from a 17th-century historical source and describes conditions in
Ireland during the Cromwellian resettlement. Did the quotations provide
any hints or clues about the identity or history of the cailín
rua?
5.
Cormac compares his own work to that done by detectives—"sorting
through evidence and piecing together clues to unlock the secrets and
the lives of those long dead." Both police work and archaeology use
forensic science to answer questions, not only about causes of death,
but also about the motivations and actions of the living. In what ways
are archaeology and forensic pathology linked in Haunted
Ground?
6.
The three main characters (Cormac Maguire, Nora Gavin, and Garrett
Devaney) are all initially unwilling to allow anyone else access to the
painful experiences that have shaped their lives. How do these inner
demons drive each of them to become involved in the death of the
cailín rua and the disappearance of Mina Osborne?
7.
How are the two parallel mysteries intertwined in this story? In
particular, how does the life of the cailín rua intersect with
the lives of the present inhabitants of Bracklyn House and the people
of Dunbeg, and what are the parallels and the dissimilarities between
the stories of the cailín rua and Mina Osborne?
8.
Discuss the many ways in which history is conveyed—through
songs, tunes, traditional folklore and folkways, memories of local
inhabitants, written documents—and
how all of these elements are necessary in solving the puzzle of the
cailín rua. Science also plays a large part in unraveling the
riddle; what are the scientific discoveries that lead Nora to the final
proof of the red-haired girl's identity?
9.
Even though she was born in Ireland and feels a strong connection to
its musical traditions, Nora feels somewhat cut off from Irish culture.
Is this a common experience for immigrants, and is it a gap that can
ever be bridged? Garrett Devaney also experiences a kind of cultural
disconnect from his children, and though this split is more
generational than geographic, is it just as difficult to overcome?
10.
Nora and Garrett Devaney both worry about how much traditional culture
is lost each time a person who is a repository of that culture expires.
What do you think of Cormac's theory that old ways are never completely
lost, but are embedded within the subconscious of each succeeding
generation, and only rise to the surface under certain conditions? Is
there any such thing as a collective unconscious?
11.
Nora has a very strong emotional reaction to the sight of the
red-haired girl, and again experiences a disturbing jolt while alone
with the girl's head in the museum conservation lab. She knows that
expecting to discover the identity of the red-haired girl goes against
reason and all her scientific training, and yet her conviction is real.
Have you ever had such a strong emotional connection with someone or
something, or experienced any similarly strange convergences of
coincidence like those that lead to the discovery of the red-haired
girl's identity?
12.
A common device in crime novels is the use of so-called "red herrings"
to led the reader astray from the actual perpetrator of the crime. Who
and what are the red herrings in Haunted
Ground,
and how
did each of them seem to point to possible suspects?
13.
Do you think Nora's brother-in-law really killed her sister? And does
solving the mystery of the red-haired girl give her a sense of closure
about her sister's death, or increase her desire to find justice? Is it
possible for Hugh and Jeremy to have a successful relationship, and,
given the harrowing events he's experienced, do you think Jeremy will
ever be able to lead an ordinary life?
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