The Passing Storm by Christine Nolfi

BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS

1. Discuss how the White Hurricane alters Rae’s life as she begins to keep secrets from the people she loves. Would she have kept those secrets if she had lost Connor during the blizzard instead of Hester?
2. Has a significant life event—good or bad—ever led you to keep a secret from someone you loved? Why?
3. Other characters—Connor, Quinn, Yuna, and Griffin—also keep secrets. What are those secrets? Why are they kept?
4. How do the characters Yuna, Sally, and Connor serve to deepen the reader’s understanding of Rae? Of Griffin?
5. How does the White Hurricane symbolize the novel’s theme of drawing up courage and self-love to face uncomfortable truths?
6. How does weather alter the mood of a given scene? Cite examples.
7. Lark does not appear in the novel. Yet her presence is strongly felt. Discuss her impact on the character or characters of your choice: Rae, Quinn, Griffin, Connor, Jackie, and Katherine.
8. Early in the book, the reader learns that Rae had refused to give Lark information about her father. Later, Rae chooses not to tell Quinn of his biological connection to her daughter. Do you agree with Rae’s decision? Are some secrets too damaging to share with a child or a young adult?
9. The special nature of the relationship between siblings is explored through Griffin’s interactions with Sally. Would the story’s events have been different if Griffin had an older brother instead? In what way?
10. Discuss your favorite character in the book. What did you find most appealing about him or her?

If your book club would like to discuss The Passing Storm with the author, please contact her at [email protected] with BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION in the subject line. Christine is usually able to schedule several online meetings per month through Zoom, Skype, or Facebook.