The Scent of Rain and Lightning Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Monument Rocks and our BookBrowse Review of The Scent of Rain and Lightning.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

Engrossing, lyrical, and suspenseful, Nancy Pickard's The Scent of Rain and Lightning captures the essence of small-town America—its heartfelt intimacy and its darkest secrets—where through struggle and hardship people still dare to hope for a better future.

The questions and discussion topics that follow are intended to enhance your reading of Nancy Pickard's The Scent of Rain and Lightning

1. The Scent of Rain and Lightning revolves around the theme of revenge. What does this novel tell us about the nature of revenge?
2. The theme of forgiveness also plays a large role in the novel. How does the story reveal the challenges of forgiveness? Are the characters clearly in one camp or the other (revenge or forgiveness)? If so, how would you divide them?  And which characters, if any, bridge these emotions?
3. What role does the community play in Billy's conviction? Can it be held culpable?

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