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The Lucid Nymph
It's been two decades since Hazel last laid eyes on Teddy. She has managed to keep her secrets tucked away, hidden in the crevices of her mind. But she often wonders what happened to him and what her life would have been had he never left her.
In the summer of 1986, thirteen-year-old Hazel yearns to escape her dysfunctional family life, plagued by a self-absorbed, nosy mother, a passive father, and a moody older sister who loathes her. Everything changes when Hazel meets her sister's older boyfriend, Teddy. The stakes are high as a forbidden romance ensues. They squirrel away in a secret apartment, drinking, smoking, and daydreaming of escaping to a glamorous life in Europe.
By summers end, Hazel is devastated when Teddy abandons her to travel the world without her, leaving her heartbroken and shattered. Despite the pain, Hazel redefines herself, discovering a hidden talent and finding new love, eventually marrying, and starting a family.
But years later, a chance encounter with Teddy during a visit back home thrusts Teddy back into her orbit, and Hazel is forced to confront the trauma and the repercussions she had buried for so long.
As Teddy attempts to manipulate Hazel into reliving their history and pursuing a life they once dreamed of, she becomes increasingly aware of the hold he once had over her as a vulnerable girl. As a result, Hazel's peaceful existence slowly begins to unravel, and inexplicable events start to unfold around her: a cryptic note draws her to a mysterious yet oddly familiar place where she suddenly finds herself holding a gun over her own mother.
The Lucid Nymph is a powerful exploration of love, loss, and the scars that trauma leaves behind. It is told through the eyes of a young woman who must navigate the adversities of adulthood and acceptance, while still grappling with the ghosts of her past.
This discussion guide was shared and sponsored in partnership with DartFrog Books.
Book club questions for The Lucid Nymph by Richelle P Gist
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
Do you agree with Hazel keeping Teddy a secret from Isabel? How do you think Isabel would have reacted if Hazel had told her the truth? How would her reaction differ if she knew as a teenager or if Hazel had told her when they were adults? Would she tell their parents? The police?
Richard loves his children and his wife, but clearly feels beaten down by Joanne. It is said that father’s shape their daughter’s life with self-esteem, self-image, confidence and opinions of men. If Richard was a stronger figure for Hazel, would she have fallen for the lure of Teddy?
Do you think Richard’s avoidance of the family dynamics was detrimental to the relationships he had with Isabel and Hazel? Or did the girls understand the power of Joanne and the risk he faced of losing his family if he went against her?
In the last paragraph, Hazel gets a MySpace request from Teddy. What would be the benefit or detriment of either decision? How did you feel about the open-ended conclusion?
We see Isabel irritated with Hazel as Teddy turns his attentions to her. She then decides she’s tired of him being clingy, and that she wants to be done with the relationship. Do you think Isabel sensed some sort of danger in Teddy’s attention to Hazel and she wanted to remove him from their lives, or do you think she was just an angsty teenager jealous of her little sister?
We see Joanne meet up with Teddy at the bar in the dream sequence portraying herself as a protective mother. She says she never wanted children and did her best. Hazel never felt she could confide in her mother, so how do you think Joanne would have handled the situation had she known what was going on? Considering her lack of parental guidance to Hazel growing up, would her potential outrage of the situation be credible, or even accepted by Hazel?
What is the significance of the title? Do you find it meaningful- why or why not?
Did your perception of Hazel change throughout the story? Did you empathize with her or feel like she should have been able to make better choices?
The Lucid Nymph Book Club Questions PDF
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