Easter Island Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

1. Would you characterize Elsa and Greer as reflections of one another, or do you consider them to have significantly distinct attitudes and personalities? How might each woman's storyline have played out in the other's time period?


2. Elsa's devotion to Alice is clear from the novel's first page. Do you feel that Elsa has a realistic or naive perception of Alice's disabilities? What does Alice represent to Elsa, besides being a devoted sister? Why do you suppose it's important for Elsa to maintain an image of Alice as pure and blameless?


3. Elsa's tale ends with a spectacular "what if." Describe your imagined outcome; were her final years tragic ones, or do you think she found peace at last?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Dell. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.