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The Secret Life Of Sunflowers
When Hollywood auctioneer Emsley Wilson finds her famous grandmother's diary while cleaning out her New York brownstone, the pages are full of surprises. The first surprise is, the diary isn't her grandmother's. It belongs to Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law.
Johanna inherited Vincent van Gogh's paintings. They were all she had, and they weren't worth anything. She was a 28 year old widow with a baby in the 1800s, without any means of supporting herself, living in Paris where she barely spoke the language. Yet she managed to introduce Vincent's legacy to the world.
The inspiration couldn't come at a better time for Emsley. With her business failing, an unexpected love turning up in her life, and family secrets unraveling, can she find answers in the past?
These book club questions are from the author's website.
Book club questions for The Secret Life Of Sunflowers by Dana Marton and Marta Molnar
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
Have you ever heard of Johanna Bonger before reading THE SECRET LIFE OF SUNFLOWERS? What did you most like about her? What did you dislike about her?
Do you think Jo and Theo could have done more to help Vincent?
What did you think about Emsley's story? Was a modern-day heroine helpful in introducing you to Johanna's world, or was that story line just an unnecessary distraction for you?
Both Jo and Emsley overcome difficulties. Have you ever done something that you didn't think you could do? What motivated you? What did you learn from it? How does it make you feel to think back to those times?
The theme of the book is inspiring women. Who are some people in your family or circle of friends that you admire? Why? Have you told them lately that you're proud of them or that they inspire you? (My theory is that life is short, and if I can make another person feel good, I need to do it ASAP. Positive feedback might be something they desperately need right now.)
Is there something that you'd like to do, something that would make a big difference in your life, but you aren't sure whether you can do it?
As you listened to others in the group list the things they want to do, did you hear anything you might be able to help with?
If a relative left you a mystery box, what would you like to find inside?
The Secret Life Of Sunflowers Book Club Questions PDF
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