Reading guide for The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Zora's impeccable eye for fashion has her observing every hem and neckline, ruffle and fringe, in every room she enters. What passion or expertise do you have that makes certain details impossible to ignore?
2. The Hough family's station in life is marked by not having an indoor bathroom and residing in a neighborhood that uses candles instead of electric streetlights. How does the wealth inequality of the 1920s differ from the present day? In what ways is it the same?
3. Elsbeth Pritchard's abuse and harassment mars what would otherwise be an exciting new chapter of Zora's life, and she largely keeps her head down and refuses to engage. Do you think she responded appropriately? How would you act in her shoes?
4. In spite of Prohibition, alcohol is freely enjoyed throughout the novel by characters from all walks of life. Can you think of any laws that areas flagrantly ignored today? How might the consequences differ, depending on the person who is caught and made an example of?
5. Both Jessie and Ellis long to hit it big in the entertainment industry, but find themselves hindered by their "foreignness" and skin color, respectively. How are they able to overcome their hurdles, and what obstacles might prove impossible to bypass?
6. Zora waits months and months to write Harley back, and attributes it to the intense shame she feels after being taken advantage of in Hollywood. How do you feel about her decision to put it off until she achieves her dream?
7. Through Sylvia's efforts, Zora is finally recognized for designing Greta Garbo's costumes in The Star, years after her death. Given her successful boutique, steadfast husband, and loving family, how important do you think it would have been to her if she had survived?

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