City of Dreams Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

1. The novel spans more than 130 years of early American history. How does the author effectively blend together the leaps in time? Aside from family trees, what historical or social links unite each section? Which of the generations did you find most compelling? Why?


2. Lucas Turner sets the stage for the rest of the story when he promises his sister's hand in marriage to Jacob Van der Vries. What was Lucas' reason for doing this? Do you believe he thought it would benefit Sally, or was he acting purely out of self-interest? Considering what he had to gain and the social structure of the time, would you have made the same decision?


3. Many of the characters' decisions and actions have long-term, far-reaching ramifications. Aside from Lucas' agreement with Jacob Van der Vries, which turning point do you think had the most impact on the story and the characters' lives? Who made the decision or took the action? How did the consequences differ from what he or she intended, if at all? How might the story have changed if he or she had acted differently?

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