Travel to Imperial China and France during the ‘Terror’ of the French Revolution with your book club.
Inspired by the true story of the quest for a blood-red rose Kate Forsyth weaves together a love story with beautiful period details. Find out who was paying attention with these conversation starters.
Discussion points and questions:
- Kate Forsyth’s fiction is inspired by a deep knowledge and passion for fairy tales from many different lands, travels, a thorough interrogation of history books and a belief that love really can change the world. How seamlessly do these strands of her storytelling weave together?
- There is a temptation to look at history in discrete chunks. Did the concurrence of events in revolutionary France and Qing dynasty China, illustrated in The Blue Rose most potently with the spotting of the tricolour flying at sea, hold any surprises for you?
- China is a major trading partner of Australia and many other countries. Is there anything we can glean from the Canton system explored in The Blue Rose to take into our ongoing relationship?
- There are many stories and films of Europe and particularly France in the last years of the 18th century, but we do not often see adventures and romance set in the same period in China. Do you think we overlook these tales due to an inherent East vs West bias?
- Olympe de Gouges and her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Citizen, the perceived power of Marie Antoinette and Joan of Arc centuries before illustrate powerful feminism in France. Yet full suffrage was only granted to women in 1965. What could be the source of this?
- Gardening and farming in the novel, in both France and China, provide life and sustenance, medicine and restoration and moments of cultural exchange. Kate Forsyth herself is a gardener who loves to grow her own food. Should we all put our hands in the soil more often? How might this change our life?
- What is the role of historical fiction in our cultural life?
A gripping historical fiction to read with your book club.
An interview with Kate Forsyth about her new novel, The Crimson Thread.
These six books will deepen your understanding of our country’s past by showing you a different side of Australian history.
A gripping wartime memoir with a twist, to read with your book club.
A heart-breaking, funny, thought-provoking and honest novel to read with your book club.
A sparkling (and heart-breaking) Australian romantic comedy to read with your book club.
A special book to read with your book club this holiday season.
A fast-paced modern classic perfect for book clubs.
A laugh-out-loud book club choice with twists and turns galore.
A remarkable story about love, literature and family to read with your book club.
If your book club has already read The Thursday Murder Club, dive into book #2: The Man Who Died Twice.
