Recently I've been contacted by some bloggers and book clubs who are discussing Courting Morrow Little. So I thought I'd post the discussion questions that I created for the novel here. I sometimes wonder if anyone reads discussion questions? They seem to be a secret if they're not printed in the back of the book itself.Here's the link if you want to take a peek: Faithful Reader. If nothing else, it's an interesting (I hope) look at what went on inside my head and heart while writing. You'll find question/reader guides for The Frontiersman's Daughter, too.
Amber, over at her savvy Seasons of Humility blog, is hosting a discussion of Courting Morrow Little tomorrow, Friday, February 25. I'm not sure what Amber is cooking up over there but it's sure to be creative:)
I thought it would be fun to honor book clubs, bloggers, and discussion questions by giving away an Amazon gift card ($25.00) in a drawing for those who join in over there or want to leave a comment here. Winner will be announced here next Friday, March 4. Happy reading - and discussing, Amber and friends ~ and all those who've contacted me!
Writing is the supreme solace. ~Maugham
All writing comes by the grace of God. ~Emerson
Oh I'll be visiting anyway. :) It's great to be on a Friday as that is my big blogging day. Girls gotta have fun sometime! :) I often don't read the dicussion questions and I'm not part of a book club, unless you count the ACFW one, but I know a lot of people like them.
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a great day Laura!! :D
Wow, Laura! I'm so touched that you would mention my blog here and that you would do a giveaway for those participating in the discussion(s)! :D You are so sweet!
ReplyDeleteI know everyone is excited about discussing your book--I will for sure send you a link as soon as the post is live. :) Now that you've talked me all up, though, I'm going to have to make sure ths post is super creative. ;) Morrow deserves a chance to shine!
Have a wonderful day, and see ya tomorrow!!
~Amber
Casey, Oh, you've educated me here once again, reminding me that you are light years ahead of where I was back then! It will stand you in good stead in your writing journey:) I didn't even realize ACFW had a book club but then why wouldn't they!? We have a small club at our church and it's fun to go talk to the ladies when my books come round. I think they might want me to come all gussied up in my colonial best next time:)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all your encouragement and support! You're THE best!
Amber,
ReplyDeleteOh bless you right back:) No matter what you do, I'm sure the post/comments will be fun and full of life like you are! I'll be away tomorrow during the day but promise to check in during the evening hours to say hi. Praying it's a fun day for you and others. Thanks so much for thinking of it! It's a joy to give an Amazon card away. I've not done that before:)
Oh, Laura, I'm SO excited to be discussing Morrow over at Amber's tomorrow!! As you well know, this book is my favorite and I'll take any chance I can get to talk about it!!
ReplyDeleteAnd those discussion questions were so thought provoking and really helped to put you in the place of the character, to see things through their eyes and feel things through their hearts. I was especially touched by #8 about Red Shirt and what someone like him would have gone through. I also really liked the questions for TFD! I especially like the scripture you used for #7 with dear Ian :) Goodness, you do know how to write a hero!! ;) I think your questions make these special stories even more special because we do get a deeper look at what was going on in your head! We also get another glimpse into the heart that created the hearts of the timeless characters. Thank you for sharing them with us :)
And I'm with Amber, it is so sweet and generous of you to offer a giveaway for those participating! An Amazon gift card will go a long way with many reading wishlists for this year, especially come July!!! ;) Thank you so much for the chance and I'll see you over at Amber's tomorrow!! :D
Blessings,
Amanda
P.S.- I just sent you an email! :D
Well, Amanda, you've made my whole day by taking time and reading those questions:) You may well be the first reader to do it! That means so much as they took a lot of time and thought. Bless you for that. It's been awhile since so I revisted them and took a peek at Ian's Scripture. And I'm touched you were touched by Red Shirt's predicament. He was so real to me over the course of the novel. Like I keep saying, I miss those characters even now!
ReplyDeleteI've just finished the discusson questions for The Colonel's Lady. Hope they pass muster with my editor, no pun intended;)
Looking forward to that email! Consider yourself in the drawing, dear friend, and thanks so much for taking time for Amber's blog tomorrow!
I like faithful reader. I often read excerpts there. And I enjoyed looking at your discussion questions. I hadn't thought about some of the things that the questions asked, and often read discussion questions at the back of books for this reason. I'll probably visit Seasons of Humility later. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteAdrienne,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for checking in either here or there:) It's a pleasure to have you in the drawing. I'm beginning to think Amazon cards are the way to go for giveaways as it's so enjoyable picking out books and then waiting for them to appear in your mailbox. Truly, anticipation is a wonderful thing. And thanks for taking time to read the discussion questions. You're right - authors often do have a slightly different take on what makes a book tick:)
Hi, Laura! I had fun posting some comments on Amber's discussion and wanted to leave a comment here. BTW, I do look at discussion questions if they're included in the back of the book or if I need them for a blog post. Sometimes they help me focus on what I want to say about a story.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed CML because it had many of the elements I loved in my favorite books from way back when. I loved the nursing Red Shirt back to health scenes. What a great way to showcase both the strength and vulnerability of the hero. And, of course, we women respond to being needed--so those scenes break down a lot of barriers for Morrow and allow her to open her heart to him.
I also loved that Morrow found adventure and love when she returned home to her very own backyard. (Kind of like, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz!) Also, it comes across like God honored her sacrifice--leaving the comfortable city and all the eligible men--to be with her father. Maybe a tiny bit reminiscent of Ruth and Naomi.
And I always appreciate a noble hero who is hidden inside a humble, looked-down-upon character. So Red Shirt's in good company with characters like Strider, the unassuming heir to the throne from Lord of the Rings, or Professor Bhaer, Jo's hero in Little Women and many, many men from the Bible . . . So there's lots of good stuff to enjoy in this story! Thanks for sharing it with all of us!
I didn't make it over here, or to Amber's, at lunch like I said. So how about I try for afternoon break. ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you for re-introducing me to Faithful Reader. I had subscribed to the email newsletters on an email that I no longer use. I re-subscribed to them last night.
The historian in me, finds herself very drawn to question number 6 about Red Shirt and the Brafferton school. I keep pondering that question, and all the failures we had with Indian eduction over the years.
I also found myself drawn to question 8, about Red Shirt being from two cultures.
I've been sorta re-reading Morrow today. It's been quite enjoyable. Red Shirt is truly one of my favorite literary heroes.
Wow this is so cool! I haven't read any of your books, Mrs. Frantz, but I have wanted to for the longest time - you're covers are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteRenee Ann, Just gobbling up your comments here! Thanks so much for your insights here and there! I think that should entitle you to a double entry at least:)
ReplyDeleteI find it so intersting that you liked the recovery scenes with RS and Morrow. Those were the most enjoyable to write and I labored over them the most, in retrospect. I tried to remain true to how a half-native frontiersman would react to being out of his element.
I haven't considered that Morrow honored her father in a Biblical way by shunning the city which would have been much kinder to her (if much more boring:) to return home and care for her father. Love the connection there.
And it's loads of fun to take an unassuming hero and make something godly out of him:) I smiled when I read about Jo's humble professor - think that was one of my first literary crushes!
Thanks so much for your comments! I treasure every one!
Michelle, So happy RS is one of your literary heroes. I remember another reader saying that he emodies some of the qualities she's looking for in a husband. I was afraid I had made him a bit too perfect but for his violent past, which took care of that!
ReplyDeleteI have long had an interest in native-white relations and what went wrong. I've spent a lot of time studying the Plains Indians, mainly the Sioux/Lakota and hope to visit Rosebud and other reservations someday. Brafferton is fascinating to me. I wish I could leap back to the years it was open and just sit in a corner and observe, though I bet I'd be heartbroken.
So appreciate your comments here. They really are like candy to me:)
Jane, Welcome here! And consider yourself entered in the drawing:) Thanks for the cover love - I'm getting ready to post some more upcoming ones next week, one of my favorite aspects of publishing. I see you're a busy blogger yourself! Please keep in touch:)
ReplyDeleteHi Laura! Long time no chat! :) I think that's wonderful that bloggers are wanting to revisit Morrow's wonderful world. :) Time permitting, I would love to do that someday myself. :)
ReplyDeleteRuth, I just replied to your comment over at Amber's - thanks so much. It really was the perfect ending to my blizzardy day. You have a knack at coming in just when you're needed:)
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to relive Courting Morrow Little! Your questions at Faithful Reader made me want to read the book all over again! And then to join the conversation at Amber's blog...well, this is quite fun!! I been enjoying Faithful Reader for years. The questions you presented are so thoughtful, thought-filled, as is the writing of your novels. I think I'd like to sit and ponder them for a while. One of my favorite questions was the one you asked about motherhood during that era.
ReplyDeleteThank you again for bringing such joy to your readers!
Carla, Thanks so much to YOU for bringing such joy to me, the writer! You'll be doing some discussion questions and reader guides soon and I know you'll enjoy creating them as much as I do. Hope you and your mom got home safely. I was hanging on your every word on FB and can't wait till you have time to post about your trip! Bless you so much for your gracious words tonight.
ReplyDeleteLaura, this is another one of those times where I am amazed by how alike we are.
ReplyDeleteI'm not certain if I've ever mentioned this, but the first adult book I read was Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." I read it when I was in 4th grade, we had researched our ancestry in social studies class, and that was when I discovered my Cherokee ancestry. I devoured every book the elementary school library had on Native Americans, and I noticed my mom had "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." I believe it took me about 6 months to read, but I would call it one of the seminal books of my life. I've had a fascination with Native Americans ever since, especially the Sioux/Lakota.
I believe I'm going to spend some time researching Brafferton tomorrow.
Thx MUCH for your generosity!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura! You are such an encourager. I'm planning to post all about it on Sunday. I'm still at Mom's and will head home on Sat.
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteThis has been so much fun! :D I've loved reading every one's responses, although I feel bad I haven't responded to any of them yet! I'll have to get on that soon... I'm thinking I might have to break my unspoken rule and not reply to each individual comment, as that might take me the rest of the night. ;) But I definitely want to chime in and thank everyone for coming!
Thank you so much for writing Courting Morrow Little and for coming over to reply to everyone!! I'm so blessed to know you! :)
~Amber
Laura, thank you for providing a link to the discussion questions. After reading Courting Morrow Little, I immediately opened it back up and started reading it again! I fell in love with both Morrow and Red Shirt. You did such an excellent job at presenting the characters!
ReplyDeleteNo need to enter me in the drawing as I wasn't able to make it to the discussion. I just wanted to let you know that you have another faithful reader!
Blessings!
Michelle, I'm not sure if this kindred spiritedness comes from our Kentucky roots or if we're just alike in temperament! It's so interesting to find yet another big connection - we've even been drawn to the same books and time periods in history!
ReplyDeleteI have the movie version (the newer one) of BMHAWK and began watching but was so heartbroken by it I haven't finished. Time to do that, I think. Love how you said that the book was one of those seminal ones for you. I so understand that.
I hope you enjoy anything you find on Brafferton - I sure did. I don't believe in hauntings or ghosts but the building is supposed to be haunted, per my research. If ever a place could be, it would be Brafferton.
Sandy, Welcome here! And don't think for a minute you're not in the drawing! Commenting here or there is fine! I'm so happy to meet another CML reader and know that you enjoyed the book like you did. Lord knows authors never tire of hearing that:) Love that you termed yourself another faithful reader. God bless you, Sandy, and please stay in touch!
ReplyDeleteCarla, YOU are my encourager so the feeling is mutual, my friend:) Praying for safe travels for you today!
ReplyDeleteAmber, Your blog is a blessing and a light for Him. So happy to be there with you! Thanks again for the invite!
OK, for some reason I've tried to comment twice on Amber's blog on two different posts and haven't been able to find them up there. At least I thought I did. Must not have been signed in properly.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess I'll comment here. My favorite thing about your books, Laura is your beautiful old-fashioned writing. I hope you won't mind my using that word, especially if I say it reminds me of Lucy Maud Montgomery and Laura Ingalls Wilder, a few of my favorite authors. You have a beautiful gift for descriptive language, something I need to work on further in my own writing.
I loved the pictures from the tea house Amber posted.
Julia, I've missed you and am so glad you're here. I'm sorry about the trouble posting - more than a few have had that same problem, me included.
ReplyDeleteI love and appreciate what you've said about my work. Sometimes I think that isn't noticed so it's heartening to see that it is. My writing is definitely old-school or old-fashioned for lack of a better word. I think it stems from being trained in 18th-19th century lit as well as being drawn to book outside of our time period. Thanks so much.
I'm so glad you're a part of the drawing! And I just noticed your new blog post so will head over and take a peek:) I'm enjoying my book on heroes of the faith by Wiersbe so very much...
Hey! I stopped by and read Amber's book discussion on CML, but there were so many great comments and discussions going on in the comments section that I opted out of commenting, since I haven't read the book yet. I know - it's very sad! lol
ReplyDeleteBut I've heard such wonderful things about your books, Laura! I hope to one day be able to read your books. CML is the one that I am really dying to read, so I enjoy reading book discussions on it.
How sweet of you to offer an Amazon gift card - I love browsing Amazon.com and looking at all the books. If I won, I know what I would spend part of it on! ;-) I could finally have CML on my bookshelf. :-D
Thanks for the chance to win.
~ Katy
legacy1992(at)gmail(dot)com
Katy, So happy you're here:) I love my readers, even my future readers, like you. I think Amazon gift cards are the way to go! Glad you're in the drawing as I can imagine you can put the card to good use:) Bless you today!
ReplyDeleteI would love to know the title of that book about Heroes of the Faith.
ReplyDeleteIts been a bit crazy with homeschooling and teaching a class, but good crazy, I think. Since I don't have a lot of writing time I'm trying finish my manuscript with the time I do have.
Julia, I've missed seeing you online but you sound busy and happy and that is a wonderful combo:)
ReplyDeleteThe book I think you're talking about is Warren W. Wiersbe's 50 People Every Christian Should Know. It was a Christmas gift from my publisher and I must admit it's one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It not only educates but edifies. I feel changed by simply reading it.
Each chapter is devoted to a diffent hero of the faith in history. Chapter one is Katherine Von Bora, Luther's wife:) One of my favorites! Right now I'm on Phillips Brooks (1835-1893). Some of them, like Spurgeon and George Whitefield and Christmas Evans are familiar. Many are not.
BTW, Adrienne/Adge mentioned she is also reading a similar book but it contains 130 or so (hope I'm remembering correctly) heroes of the faith. I will try to find her and ask her for a title if I can locate her (she doesn't have a blog or email). Maybe she will read this and answer.
Hope this helps! I'm so excited about your upcoming blog series!
Hey Laura & Julia! I just went over to Amazon and searched the title of that book Laura mentioned- "50 People Every Christian Should Know" and it also brought up the other book I believe she was talking about titled - "131 Christians Everyone Should Know"
ReplyDeleteHope this helps, ladies :) Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Christians-Everyone-Should-Holman-Reference/dp/080549040X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1298919555&sr=8-2
There looks to be some other good books along these lines if you scroll down a little to what other customers have bought :)
Blessings,
Amanda
Oh Amanda, Bless you! I appreciate it more than you know! Off to look at the link as I'm so curious about the 131 part:) Thanks, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteOh, this sounds wonderful! Thanks so much!
And Amanda,
Thanks so much for taking the time to find all that information! Both books sound fantastic.
Laura,
ReplyDeleteOh, this sounds wonderful! Thanks so much!
And Amanda,
Thanks so much for taking the time to find all that information! Both books sound fantastic.
Julia,
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry Blogger ate your comments! :(
Laura's writing is beautiful, isn't it? I definitely love all of her descriptions of the Kentucke wilderness. :D
And I'm glad you liked the tea party pictures! ;)
~Amber
Katy,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the book discussion, and I hope you get to read CML soon!!! :) It's a fabulous book!
~Amber
Great idea! I studied lit in college, but I still like the structure provided by discussion questions--without them, the conversation too often turns to "[that one part] was weird!/awesome!"
ReplyDeleteeemoody77 at gmail dot com
Liz, So good to see you here! Thanks for supporting the idea of discussion questions aka reading guides. I think they're very valuable, too, and now that you mention it, I do remember them from my college days:) Bless you today!
ReplyDelete