JB Harris
BOOK GROUPS
I love book groups! I'm a member of a few myself. So, if you select THE IMMIGRANT'S WIFE for your book group to read, I would be delighted to join you for a discussion. Please reach out to me directly and let me know when and where you will be meeting to discuss my book and if I can be there, I will. If not, I’m happy to join via Zoom, FaceTime or even via phone. But make sure to contact me as soon as you select the book as my calendar fills up quickly.
Discussion Questions:
Why do you think the author titled the book The Immigrant’s Wife?
Look again at the cover of the novel. What is the author trying to convey with that image?
What themes do you see running through the book?
Which character do you most relate to and why?
Given the times they lived in, what do you think of Anna’s parents’ handling of her feelings for Charles? What realistically could they have done differently?
The script was flipped when Anna had to assimilate into the West End. Do you think it was harder to be a white woman in the West End or a male immigrant in America?
What parallels do you see between the treatment of immigrants in the early 20th century and now? What differences?
In the 1900’s an immigrant had to be sponsored by a financially stable American citizen to enter the country. Did you know that policy is still employed? Does knowing that influence your feelings about our immigration problems today?
What do you think of Charles’ decision not to tell Anna where he was going? Was it ultimately a good choice or a bad one?
Why do you think Anna didn’t tell the women of the sewing circle what was going on in her life?
Asen insisted on calling Charles by his given name, Constantinos. Why? Do you like your name? Would there ever be a reason you’d change it?
There are a lot of secrets in this story. Have you ever kept a big secret? Do you believe there are times when secrets are essential?
What did you learn about life in the early 1900’s that you didn’t already know?
The book is told dual POV. Why did the author make that choice and what would have been lost if the story was told strictly from Anna’s POV.
In what ways do race, culture, gender and economic status figure in the novel? How would the story differ if set today?
Were you satisfied with the resolution of the novel? Why or why not?
Could you have forgiven Charles?
One thing the author struggled with was certain grammar changes such as the possessive of names ending with s from s’ to s’s (for example, Charles’ to Charles’s) It was strongly recommended because that’s what readers expect today. Is this a function of the metamorphosis of language or its breakdown?