Part 44 (2/2)

Erica James grew up on Hayling Island in Hamps.h.i.+re, and has since lived in Oxford, Yorks.h.i.+re and Belgium. She is the author of eleven bestselling books, and says her main qualification for writing is that she's 'a nosy devil and loves watching and eavesdropping on other people's conversations'.

She now lives in Ches.h.i.+re.

For Discussion.

* 'Constant activity, she'd come to know, was the only answer.' Is it?

* 'Do you suppose there's a chance that this is my fault? You know, the whole dysfunctional family bit.' How far do you think Will is to blame, if blame is the right word?

* How important is the theme of sibling rivalry in the narrative?

* Why is Dominic as he is? Is it nature or nurture do you think?

* 'It was another reason why she often preferred computers to people. You knew exactly where you stood with them.' What does this tell us about Harriet? Does she really think this?

* 'Why did people do that? Hide their real self behind another?' Do people in Harriet's life do this? Or does she fail to see the depths that other people see?

* 'Your stubborn one-track brain allows you to see things only in black and white. One day you'll realise there are myriad shades of grey in between.' Does Harriet ever see the grey? If she does begin to, what changes her?

* How does the author deal with the theme of ident.i.ty in Love and Devotion?

* 'This is real life: ends don't always get neatly tied up with a silk ribbon of convenience. Some things we just have to live with as unknowns.' How real did the novel feel to you? How did the author make it seem real?

* How do the different characters deal with the guilt they feel?

* Did the author surprise you with the events in the novel, or did she give you clues?

* Did you like Harriet?

Suggested Further Reading.

Changing Places by Colette Caddle.

That Certain Age by Elizabeth Buchan.

Past Secrets by Cathy Kelly.

The Gla.s.s Lake by Maeve Binchy.

Next of Kin by Joanna Trollope.

end.

<script>