Reading group notes for The Palace of Lost Virtue.
1. Upon arrival in Kalgoorlie, Mrs Beadle advises the Harringtons, ‘We’ve no room for delicate flowers out here.’ Do you think Marigold proves to be a delicate flower at any stage?
2. Pansy Arlington believes a young woman’s reputation should cost something. What has her profession cost her, and what has it allowed her?
3. In what ways are Pansy and Marigold admirable? In what ways are they not?
4. Why do you think Pansy handed Marigold the nugget?
5. Did you have any sympathy for Marigold? Do you understand why she took such drastic action against her husband in later years?
6. Despite her fierce exterior, in what ways is Pansy Arlington an essentially kind woman?
7. Was Rowan a hero or a villain?
8. Was the gold rush era a time of opportunity for all?
9. Do you agree with all of the choices that Pansy and Marigold made?
10. Pansy tells Marigold, ‘Get a ring on your finger and everything will work out in the end.’ In what ways was she right and wrong?
11. This is a story of forgiveness and revenge. Discuss.
12. In what ways does this novel, and other books by Anthea Hodgson, shed new light on the role of women in history?
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