Discussion Post - Appalachian Serenade by Sarah Loudin Thomas

So, a cold knocked me directly on my butt after work Friday. I was all set to spend my short day off work, and all of Saturday, messing with the blog and getting caught up. Apparently, my immune system had other plans. Ha! Oh, working at a new place.

Bright note, this post is going up now and the next one is all about the member rewards program. So, that's good news. Let's talk Appalachian Serenade.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What time period do you believe that this novella takes place in? Did you have a picture of the events running in your head?

2. How did you feel about the differences between Delilah and most of the other women in town? Was she a character that you enjoyed following?

3. What was one thing that you absolutely loved about this novella? One thing that you could have happily done without?

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MODERATOR THOUGHTS

I feel that, in all fairness, I should let you know that I don't usually pre-read these novellas. I pick them based on recommendations from other readers I know, the reviews on Amazon, and sometimes just because they're free and look interesting :). So if you ever find anything that offends you, or puts you off, please don't feel like you can't say something! You won't hurt my feelings. We all have certain triggers. Now, on to my thoughts on this novella. 

1. In my head, I first saw this book taking place sometime in the 30's. However, at the mention of Delilah's car and at the mention of her working during war time, I kicked it up into the 50's. My brain wanted so badly to place her in traditional 1950's clothing in the city, because I've never before read a book that takes place in a rural place during this time. I wasn't really able to picture it accurately, but I did enjoy the descriptions of the small town, the bustling people, and of course Delilah's wonderful mode of transportation ;).

2. I loved the fact that Delilah was so independent and spirited. Her ability to stand tall, despite the possible things being gossiped about behind her back, made me smile. The fact that she was so methodical about laying options out in front of her, that she started out trusting her head more than her heart, made her a relatively likable character to me. I could see her struggle between wanting emotional happiness, and wanting children, and I understood it.

3. One thing I loved about this novella was the fact that the female characters weren't under the thumb of their male counterparts. There's more than a few mentions of decorum, but overall these women were rather feisty and wonderful. One thing I could have done without, and you'll see this a lot because of the way I read, were the very large (and often) mentions of "God's will". I chalked it up to the fact that this book takes place in an older time, and so people were very often religious. I couldn't help but tire of the repetitiveness of it after a while though.