Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson
Discussion Questions
1. Repeatedly throughout the story, Kate asks others not to call her Kitty anymore. Have you ever attempted to take on a new identity by asking others to call you by a different name? Do our names play a role in how we are perceived by others or how we feel about ourselves? What significance is there to Henry’s being the only one who calls Kate by her chosen name instead of Kitty?
2. Propriety, titles, and reputation play important roles in the lives of the characters. Kate’s own reputation is affected by the actions of her sister Eleanor, to the point that Sylvia thinks no man who knows of the scandal would want to marry her. Mrs. Delafield is adamant that there be no scandal at Blackmoore, even chiding Kate for going outdoors in the morning. Did you find the cultural expectations of Kate’s society unfair? What cultural expectations of propriety do we see today, if any? To what extent do they affect our lives? Are such cultural constraints unfair or necessary?
3. Kate claims that Henry can’t understand her situation because he is a man. What differences did you notice in the novel between what men were allowed to do and what women were allowed to do? How does it compare to the culture you live in? Have you ever felt limited based on your gender? In what ways?
4. After learning of Kate’s bargain with her mother, Sylvia accuses Kate of being selfish and manipulative. Do you think Sylvia is right? Do you think Kate was wrong to make such a bargain with her mother or to flirt with men she has no feelings for? Have you ever found yourself manipulating others to get your own way? Is this ever acceptable?
5. What do you think of the friendship between Kate and Henry? Do you think they have a foundation for a strong marriage? If Henry had married Miss St.Claire, do you think theirs could have been a healthy marriage? Why or why not?
6. Were you surprised with Kate’s reason for swearing off marriage? Do you agree or disagree with Kate’s decisions following the ball at Delafield Manor? Do you think she was right to refuse Henry at Blackmoore, even after he said he was willing to give up his birthright for her? What role does sacrifice play in love and marriage?
7. The character of Kate’s father is buried under the oppressive weight of Mrs. Worthington’s character. What feelings did you have when Kate briefly mentioned his self-seclusion? How do those feelings differ from those you experienced when Kate met Henry’s grandfather for the first time? Do you think it’s possible to make a real connection with someone you’ve never met except through the stories someone tells about them?
8. Kate dreams of escaping by going to Blackmoore and then to India. Have you ever felt trapped or caged? What did you do about it? What do you wish you had done about it? Do you relate to Kate’s need to travel? Do you have dreams of traveling to specific places? What do those places mean to you?
9. Kate dreamed all her life about going to Blackmoore, and yet her fantasy trip turned into a mess of mixed feelings, largely disappointment. What dangers are there in projecting your happiness into a “finally” that exists only by fulfilling your hopes and dreams somewhere else? Kate expresses her fear that India also might not hold up to her expectations. What do you believe is the real factor in fulfilling your dreams, in finding your heart’s desire? Did you sense that Kate was truly happy in India?
10. When Sylvia, Kate, and Miss St.Claire walk to Robin Hood’s Bay, Miss St.Claire has a basket of food on her arm and is intent on giving to the poor. On the same occasion, Kate has a chance to buy treats for two young girls, though she hadn’t set out with any intention to be charitable. Does one act seem more charitable than the other? What motives are necessary for displaying true charity? Did Miss St.Claire possess those motives as characteristics or were they a disciplined display of her potential status?
11. When Kate’s plan for three proposals turns into a plan to involve only Henry, she believes he will not be harmed by her request, since his future with Miss St.Claire is already decided. How is this concept different from the realization she had the night before that flirting without feeling was something her mother would do? How is it perhaps similar? Even if she believed Henry would not be hurt, why would she put herself through the agony of rejecting three proposals from the man she loved? How do you feel Kate handled her rejection of the younger Mr. Brandon’s interest?
12. Many important scenes take place in the second music room in Blackmoore. What similarities do you see between Kate and the bird in that room? What else about that second music room is symbolic of Kate’s journey to find her own voice and wings? Toward the end of the novel, when she is in India and is flooded with memories of the bird and the manor, what symbols do you see come full circle? What realizations has she come to about her heart after her dream to visit India is fulfilled?
13. Herr Spohr’s words and music have a considerable influence on Kate. He gives her sheet music of an original composition and tells her there are no rules for how to play it. And then of the bird he suggests that it may not have been its restlessness that killed it but the cage itself. How do you think these statements helped Kate choose to leave? How does music influence your life and decisions? Where do you find the openings to release you from what cages you?
14. Ultimately Kate made the excruciating decision to leave Henry so she wouldn’t be the cause of dividing him from his home and inheritance. Do you think Henry could have said anything in that moment of separation that would have made Kate stay? Without her leaving and a drastic change of scenery, would Kate have been able to recognize what her uncaged desires were, where her home really was?