Read A Rather Curious Engagement Online
Authors: C. A. Belmond
A Rather Curious Engagement (41 page)
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. The hero and heroine of this novel have inherited a windfall. What would you do if you received such a legacy? Would your life change? How? What things would remain constant?
2. Jeremy’s ex-wife threw down the gauntlet in the previous novel, and now Penny must cope with this challenge. How does she deal with it? How does Jeremy respond? Does the situation change their understanding of each other? Does it deepen their commitment? What were the key turning points?
3. Why is the London townhouse so important to Penny when she talks to the accountant? Does it come to symbolize something important in her life with Jeremy? The characters go back and forth to London. What does London itself represent?
4. Penny links the purchase of the yacht (“The Splurge”) to something that she calls “The Plan” which was Jeremy’s idea about taking some time off in order to figure out their career options. She believes that this interlude is a rare opportunity, and she is very protective of it. Why? Does it turn out to be as significant as she believes? What factors contribute to this?
5. The theme of family feuds recurs in the novel. Penny refers to her own family and their previous quarrel over the inheritance. The Count’s family and Diamanta’s family have a history of feuding. What similarities and differences can be found? What do these quarrels reveal about the characters involved? Are you reminded of any personal experiences of families and friends involved in such disputes?
6. The Lion aquamanile means different things to different people, thus revealing unique aspects of each character. What does it symbolize to the Count, Kurt, Penny, Jeremy, Rollo, Pepi, Clive, Diamanta and her relatives? What does it reveal about each person? What do you think is its ultimate value?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.A. Belmond
has published short fiction, poetry and humorous essays. She was awarded the Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship and was twice a Pushcart Press Editors’ Book Award finalist. Belmond was a writer-in-residence at the Karolyi Foundation in the South of France, and her original screenplays were shortlisted at Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute and the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference. She has written, directed and produced television drama and documentary, and has taught writing at New York University. Her debut novel,
A Rather Lovely Inheritance
, launched the original story of Penny and Jeremy.
has published short fiction, poetry and humorous essays. She was awarded the Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship and was twice a Pushcart Press Editors’ Book Award finalist. Belmond was a writer-in-residence at the Karolyi Foundation in the South of France, and her original screenplays were shortlisted at Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute and the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference. She has written, directed and produced television drama and documentary, and has taught writing at New York University. Her debut novel,
A Rather Lovely Inheritance
, launched the original story of Penny and Jeremy.
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