Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for A Crown of Stars by Shana Abe

1. Rita's childhood could be considered sheltered, even enchanted. There's no question her parents had wealth and status, moving in some of the most rarified social circles. How did her childhood prepare her for the real world? Or did it? Do you think Rita would have been a successful actress if not for the initial support of Pauline?
2. The Jolivet sisters shared a deep and abiding bond, but Rita was always the leader. Was it fair of her to drag her little sister along with her to London, just to get her own way?
3. Rita's first experience acting in live theatre was a disappointment. In real life, she would allude to it when pressed, but never openly discuss it. Even so, she didn't give up her dream. What kept her going? Would you have given up had you been in a similar situation?
4. Rita enjoyed what could be called a bohemian lifestyle for her time, flouting convention if it didn't suit her. She was a famous, divorced woman who lived happily alone but had no problem inviting her lover into her home. She had a strong publicity machine at her back to smooth over any transgressions, but should she have been more circumspect regarding her private life, in your opinion?
5. Inez defends her decision to marry George by stating simply: "I am at home in his heart." Do you believe she actually fell in love with him that quickly, or was becoming Mrs. Vernon more of a new version of herself that she couldn't wait to experience, especially since Rita had vanished into her own world? Do you believe in love at first sight?
6. Even as she began to fall in love with Giuseppe, Rita would tell herself, I want him, but I don't want to need him. Considering her past divorce and her thriving career, was she wise to guard her heart against the count?
7. Rita decided to take the Lusitania despite all the public warnings. Do you think she was too trusting of the official mantra that the ship was too fast to be torpedoed? Or was she justified in feeling that her need to reach her brother before he left for the front outweighed the risk? Would you have boarded the ship?
8. In 1918, Rita was summoned as a witness for a Limitation of Liability hearing for the Lusitania. She described her last moments aboard the ship and the hours after, in clear, calm detail, including the fact that she clung for hours to an upside-down boat, bearing witness to the death and destruction all around her. How do you think you would have fared in her place? In those frantic minutes after the liner went under, would you have let the panicked people still in the water climb up the lifeboat, even at the risk of capsizing it?
9. Inez was clearly devastated to lose George, her husband of twelve years and the love of her life. Did Rita and her family do enough help her in those weeks after the sinking? Or do you think Inez was deliberately as emotionally hidden as she needed to be to conceal her true intentions?
10. Do you agree with Rita's decision to make Lest We Forget? Was it cathartic for her or more of a publicity grab? Why do you think Rita agreed to the government's request that she travel around the country to speak about the sinking while selling Liberty Bonds, even though it caused her anguish?
11. What do you think of Rita's deliberate, unspoken message to her enemies: I'm still here?
12. Most of the characters depicted in A Crown of Stars were based on real people. Had you heard of any of them previously?
13. What did you know about the sinking of the Lusitania before reading A Crown of Stars? What did you think of Shana Abé's depiction of the event?
14. What did you learn about the era from the novel? Did anything surprise you?
15. Charles tells Rita, "[T]he key to lasting success…isn't luck or even necessarily talent. It's having the public recognize you right away, having them crave you, more and more of you, before they ever come to see you perform." What did you think of this statement? Do you think it was true at the time? Is it true today?
16. Each chapter of the book starts with an excerpt from Inez's final letter to Rita. What did you think of this technique? How do you feel it set the stage for the chapter each precedes, or for the book in general?
17. At what point did you read the Author's Note – before, after, or while you read the novel? Did you do much research/internet searching about people and events as you read?
18. Have you read any of Shana Abé's previous novels, and if so, how do they compare to A Crown of Stars?
19. To what audience would you recommend A Crown of Stars? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
20. Overall, what did you think of A Crown of Stars? (No spoilers in this thread, please!)

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