Government Intervention today?

Not that I want to be as paranoid as Nathaniel Delaney, but this is a quote from the White House blog:

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

Is it just me or are the similarities in Plague Journal and this email uncanny, and somewhat scary!

Plague Journal

Here we go . . . is everybody finished reading? See you Tuesday!

Discussion Questions:
1. What is the Plague?
2. Overall, how did you experience the book while reading it? Were you immediately drawn in or did it take you a while?
3. Compare Plague Journal to Strangers and Sojourners.
4. Did any of the characters remind you of yourself or somebody you know?
5. How does Nathaniel's character change through the book?
6. How would you put into word the central conflict of this book?
7. What was "plaguing" Doc Woolley?
8. What made the Tru family so appealing?
9. Could you live in a shipwrecked boat?
10. Do you think the shipwrecked boat is a symbol for something?
11. What did you make of Tyler's dream? pg 245
12. Were you surprised by the ending?
13. If you could rewrite the ending would you? If so, how would it end?

Strangers and Sojourners

The book club's first official meeting kicked off Tuesday night with a review of Strangers and Sojourners. The conversation was exhilarating. We unearthed so much we had missed in our individual minds. I'll post the discussion questions shortly. Next meeting. . . . Plague Journal - August 4th.




Interesting Links:
Michael O'brien interview with Ignatius Journal
Book Review
www.a1books.com <-I found Michael O'brien's books here for fairly cheap.

Discussion Questions:
1. Who was your favorite character? Which character did you most identify with?
2. How would you describe Anne's life?
3. Does the story have a climax? If so, what was it?
4. What was the purpose of the use of poetry in the book?
5. Why did Anne feel so torn between her life in Swiftcreek and her old life in England? What did she like about life in Swiftcreek? What did she miss about England?
6. What was the strange dark presence that Anne experience when she got off the train for the first time in Swiftcreek? Did it every come back?
7. Describe the author's worldview?
8. What is the significance of the ring (two stars and a triangle) that Stephen dreams about and was given to him by Nathaniel?