Reading guide for Inamorata by Joseph Gangemi

Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Is Mina Crawley genuine, or a fake? Do you believe she was manipulating Finch all along to sway the outcome of the investigation, or that she genuinely loved him?
   
   
2. We are currently enjoying a resurgence of interest in spirit-mediums, thanks to the popularity of TV "channelers" like James Van Praagh, John Edwards, and Sylvia Brown. Do you believe this is coincidental, or is spiritualism a timeless fascination?
   
   
3. Have you ever visited a psychic? Did the experience strengthen your belief or confirm your doubt? Did the psychic you visited strike you as genuine?
   
   
4. On the back of Inamorata Audrey Niffenegger praises the novel for its "peculiar sex scenes." Did you find these scenes peculiar? Provocative? What are some of your favorite racy scenes in literature? What makes one better than another? Is there a recipe for a good literary sex scene?
   
   
5. The ending of Inamorata is intentionally ambiguous, leaving us to wonder whether the child of Mina Crawley was fathered by her husband, or Finch, or someone else altogether. Who do you think is the true father of Chester?
   
   
6. What sort of life do you envision Finch had following the events of this book? How do you think his love affair with Mina affected his later life?

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