Here are some ideas to open your Book Club discussion on The Palace of Lost Dreams but do feel free to make up your own questions, too.
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The Palace of Lost Dreams
What themes did the author explore?
How did the author achieve a sense of time and place in the novel and was this successful? Were there passages you particularly liked that demonstrate this?
What aspect of the novel did you enjoy most? And what didn’t you like?
How had Bee’s past shaped her personality?
Who was your favourite character and why?
What were the advantages and disadvantages for the women living in the zenana?
What did the main characters learn about themselves by the end of the story? How did they change?
Did the story make you want to discover more about the history of the British East India Company in India?
Do you think the British in India were acting for the greater good by attempting to end the conflicts between the warring local factions or were they simply taking what they could for themselves?
Were there passages that you found insightful, amusing, poignant or sad?
How did the book make you feel while you were reading it? Angry, sad, amused, curious … Explain why the story aroused these emotions in you.
Did you find the ending of the book satisfying and did it tie up all the loose ends?
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