The Canterbury Sisters (36 page)

“I’ve been looking at the Cathedral,” he says. “What’s it like inside?”

“Big.”

“I’ve never been here. Mad thing for a Londoner to say, I know.”

“Perhaps you should stay until tomorrow. Make a holiday of it.”

“But you’re going back to America?” he asks. “Sunday noon, that’s the plan? I know that’s what your schedule demands.”

I grind my toes into the pebbles beneath the bench and let the dust rise. Valerie’s boots are going to have to be cleaned again. “I’m not sure,” I say. “Not entirely sure what I’m doing. I’ve heard this town has a river.”

“I believe so,” he says cautiously, his eyes never leaving the glow of the Cathedral. “I may have seen a sign saying you can rent boats.”

“Apparently it’s not much of a river.”

He pinches his lip. “Most likely not. But there’s only one way to know for sure.”

And so we sit, Dylan and I, shoulder-to-shoulder, looking up at Canterbury. A few minutes pass. And then a few more. At 9:15 a single bell will ring. But for now, the silence is fine.

Acknowledgments

T
o research this book, I walked the Canterbury Trail, an undertaking that would have proven impossible without the (literal!) guidance of Jane Martin, the mastermind behind Tours of the Realm. Jane organizes and leads private tours based solely on the interests of the traveler, and she helped me bring authenticity and realism to Che’s journey.

I am also deeply indebted to my agent, Stephanie Cabot of the Gernert Company, and my editor, Karen Kosztolnyik, at Gallery Books.
The Canterbury Sisters
would not have been possible without their loyalty, support, and counsel.

My gratitude goes out to the entire team at Gallery, starting with those at the helm: publisher Jen Bergstrom, president Louise Burke, and associate publisher Michele Martin. The publicity department couldn’t have been more helpful, especially publicity director Jennifer Robinson and publicist Jules Horbachevsky. Special thanks to those in marketing: director Liz Psaltis, manager Melanie Mitzman, and online marketing manager Diana Velasquez. Thanks to Becky Prager, Karen’s editorial assistant, who answers all the questions. And at Gernert, thanks to Anna Worrall, who gives such great advice to authors, and most of all to Ellen Goodson, who sends the checks.

GALLERY READERS GROUP GUIDE

The Canterbury Sisters

Kim Wright

Introduction

F
rom the critically acclaimed author of
Love in Mid Air
and
The Unexpected Waltz
,
The Canterbury Sisters
is a warm, compulsively readable novel about how one woman’s mission to grant her mother’s last wishes ends up taking her on a pilgrimage that changes her life.

Che de Milan’s life is a mess. Her longtime boyfriend has just announced—in a letter—that he is leaving her for another woman, and Che’s eccentric mother has recently passed. When her mother’s ashes show up on her doorstep with a set of instructions that require a trip to Canterbury Cathedral, Che reluctantly packs her bags and embarks upon a pilgrimage. The eight women in the tour group swap stories along the length of the Canterbury Trail in the best Chaucerian tradition, vying to see who among them can describe true love. Armed with wine, ashes, camaraderie, and the magic of Canterbury itself, these unlikely pilgrims help Che find a sense of peace and hope that has always eluded her.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1.
In the opening pages, Che loses her mother, Diana, and describes herself as an orphan:
“I’ve always been an only child, and now I’m an orphan as well, and the time has pretty much passed for having children of my own. Not that I ever particularly wanted such a thing. The bumper sticker on my Fiat reads,
I’M NOT CHILDLESS, I’M CHILD-FREE
, but still, to find myself utterly alone in the world, at least in terms of blood relations, has hit me harder than I would have guessed.”
What does the loss of her mother represent to Che? As the story progresses, how does Che reconcile with her loss?

2.
When Che first sees the Broads Abroad, she remains on her side of the pub, observing from a distance rather than approaching the group. What about this trip makes her reluctant to sit down with the women at first? How does a stranger in the pub ultimately convince her to go on the journey? Describe her initial reactions to the women and how her opinions change over time.

3.
The Canterbury Tales
include pilgrims who are men, whereas the Broads Abroad is a group made only of women. Discuss how this affects the sort of stories that are told during Che’s pilgrimage versus the one Chaucer would have experienced in the Middle Ages.

4.
Before the women officially begin their journey, each person briefly mentions her marital status. Che blurts out,
“I was married once, but so long ago that it’s like it hardly happened.”
Describe the role of secrecy, lies, and “personal myths” in the novel. Whose secrets are the most surprising?

5.
Jean’s tale is a good example of how self-blame permeates the women’s lives in
The Canterbury Sisters
. Discuss how other characters blame themselves (or others) for events that have occurred. Are they able to liberate themselves from this self-blame? Why or why not?

6.
In chapter five, Che checks her email after a day without her cell phone. After seeing more than a hundred unread emails she thinks,
“Would it be such a crime to be unreachable, to hold my silence for just this once?”
Consider what this statement means in relation to her recent breakup with Ned, the loss of her mother, and her overall experience on the pilgrimage.

7.
Because of the reality television show she stars on, Ange-lique’s entire relationship is the most exposed and seemingly the most brutally honest. Why does she choose to illustrate her relationship through the myth of Psyche and Eros?

8.
In chapter six, Che reveals how one of her mother’s lovers ruined Cinderella for her as a young girl. What is it about this memory at this point in the book that causes Che to react so strongly and to finally cry? What is it about Valerie’s presence that causes her to flee?

9.
After Claire’s tale, Tess says,
“We aren’t sharing these stories to entertain each other.”
What is the purpose of the tales on this journey? Discuss what the storytelling represents in this novel.

10.
Valerie chooses to tell the tale of Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady instead of the story of her own life. The tale has an important message: above all, women wish for the chance to make their own decisions. Were you surprised to learn Valerie’s secret at the end of the novel? Do you think the chance to make decisions is what women truly want most in life?

11.
In chapter eleven, Silvia reveals that her seemingly perfect marriage was devoid of love and that ultimately, both she and her husband find true love once they are no longer following The Plan. What does your plan look like? What do you think about Silvia’s decision to start a marriage and a family with a path already set forth?

12.
Claire asks Che,
“What did she teach you? Your mother, I mean. Girls always learn something from their mothers, even when they try not to.”
What did Diana teach Che? Discuss with your fellow book club members what you’ve each learned from your own mothers.

13.
The accident comes as a big shock in chapter fifteen. How does this change the dynamics of the group? Describe how each woman reacts to the accident.

14.
One of the major themes in
The Canterbury Sisters
is the importance of company. Discuss how sisterhood—or the lack thereof—in Che’s life plays a role in her participation in the trip. Do the other women lack sisterhood? Consider the relationships between Becca and Jean, Claire and Silvia, Che and Diana. Do you think the group comes together by the novel’s end? Why or why not?

15.
The priest asks,
“Why do people pilgrimage?”
Share your initial reaction with your book group. What would you hope to gain from a similar experience?

Enhance Your Book Club

1.
Read some of Chaucer’s
The Canterbury Tales
with your book group
.
Do you see any characters from
The Canterbury Tales
echoed in
The Canterbury Sisters
? Are there any particular scenes that appear in both books? Consider the influence of Chaucer’s themes on
The Canterbury Sisters.

2.
Read Kim Wright’s other two novels,
The Unexpected Waltz
and
Love in Mid Air.
Do you notice similar themes, characters, or plot points? Discuss these similarities and differences with your book group.

3.
Take a trip to a historic site or scenic hiking trail in your area—and leave the phones at home! Invite your fellow book group members to tell the tales of their own romances or love stories that have touched them throughout their lives. Or have a “walk and talk” book club meeting and get exercise and insight all at once.

4.
For your next book club pick, select a memoir or biography about someone who travels on a trail or specific path, such as
Wild
by Cheryl Strayed or
Tracks
by Robyn Davidson. Do you see similarities between these books? Why or why not?

About the Author

KIM WRIGHT is also the author of
The Unexpected Waltz
and
Love in Mid Air
. She is an award-winning travel and food writer and a competitive ballroom dancer. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
authors.simonandschuster.com/Kim-Wright

MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT

SimonandSchuster.com

ALSO BY KIM WRIGHT

Love in Mid Air

The Unexpected Waltz

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