Confucius Jane (45 page)

Connecting Sutton and Jane's romance to the symbolism of Chinese astrology made it possible to inject elements of magical realism into the book. My wife's family is sensitive to the guidelines provided by Chinese astrology, numerology, and feng shui. It seemed natural to not only integrate those beliefs and superstitions into the story, but to have them foreshadow and influence the plot and character development. And in a fortuitous twist of fate,
Confucius Jane
will be released at the same time the story opens: just prior to the lunar new year celebration inaugurating the Year of the Monkey, which will begin in February of 2016.

This book switches back and forth between Jane's and Sutton's perspectives. Did you find it difficult to write in both voices? Who do you relate to more closely?

Confucius Jane
is the story of two very different women whose paths cross almost incidentally, but whose lives are changed as a result. I wanted to tell both sides of that story, and the most effective way to do so was to allow each woman's voice to be heard in equal proportion. Fortunately, Sutton and Jane are such unique characters that their voices sound distinct in my head. While I share attributes with both, I relate more closely to Sutton, who shares my academic ambition and neuroses. I wish I were more “zen” like Jane!

Why did you choose to write about LGBTQ characters?

One of the most powerful aspects of storytelling is its ability to hold up a mirror to society. When we see ourselves in that mirror, we become more invested in the narrative. As a lesbian, it has been historically difficult to see my reflection in literature—although happily, this is now changing for the better. LGBTQ-identified people are socially hapa by virtue of our sexuality: we stand at the intersection of multiple communities, endeavoring to make a space for ourselves in all of them.
Confucius Jane
takes up this theme.

In your day job, you are the head of the Honors program at SUNY Rockland Community College. Did any of your work life make it into your fiction? How does your job impact your writing?

Since I am now older than my characters, who are in their twenties and are exploring newfound independence, my students remind me of what it's like to be a “new adult” in the world, and they teach me about new trends, technologies, jargon, and philosophies that were not a part of my own “twentysomething” experience.

Where do you write?

Juggling a full-time job with writing can be a challenge, and I've learned to write in brief snatches of time that I can wrest away from the busyness of daily life. My commute from Manhattan to Rockland County is a lengthy one, and I do much of my writing on the train. I also spend a great deal of time writing at our kitchen table once our child is in bed and our dogs have been walked. But my favorite place to write is on the deck of our home in the Catskills, with a giant mug of coffee ready at hand and a canine curled up at my feet.

What other authors do you read, and how did they influence your story?

As a lifelong reader, I enjoy a broad range of literature. As a child, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings inspired both my passion for storytelling and my decision to become a medievalist. As a student, I fell in love with everything from
Beowulf
and
Paradise Lost
to
Mrs. Dalloway
and Stoppard's
Arcadia.
As a twentysomething, I gravitated toward the romances of Nora Roberts and Jennifer Crusie. When I came out as a lesbian, I was overjoyed to find lesbian romances by authors such as Katherine V. Forrest, Radclyffe, and Karin Kallmaker. As an English professor, I'm always curious to know what my students are reading, and their enthusiasm has led me to books such as
The Hunger Games
and
The Fault in Our Stars.
I think it's important to read constantly, and I don't have an agenda when I read—all I want is to enjoy a well-written story about characters with whom I can connect.

Discussion Questions

  1.
Confucius Jane
is a story of two worlds: the tightly knit, middle-class community that is Jane's Chinatown and the wealthy, high-powered world that Sutton's family inhabits at New York's premier hospitals and on the Upper East Side. But the differences between these worlds go far beyond socioeconomic status. What are the prevailing values of each community? How are they reflected in Sutton and Jane?

  2. Jane is “hapa” or multiracial—half Chinese and half Caucasian. How does she feel about her background, and what does it mean to her extended family and her friends? Where do we see her connections to her Chinese culture, and where do we see her remove from it? Do other characters represent or embrace mixtures of different cultures and different origins?

  3. Jane's cousin Minetta establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with on the first page of
Confucius Jane.
What is her role in the story—matchmaker? Greek chorus? Intervening angel? Comic relief? What role does she play in Sutton and Jane's relationship? In the life of Sue's business? What can Jane learn from someone so young?

  4. At its heart,
Confucius Jane
is about family. Yet the definitions of family, loyalty, and love shift between the book's two communities. What do Sutton and Jane each believe about the purpose of family at the start of the story and at its end? How do biological families and chosen families compare? What are the two women's loyalties and obligations to each? Is there chosen family in your own life story?

  5. Both as their relationship begins and when it seems to end, Jane and Sutton each doubt themselves, often in heartbreaking ways. What pushes them to question their own motives? What parts of themselves do they never second-guess? How do you think their upbringings contribute to how they try to blame—or protect—themselves at various times?

  6. Professional success is a theme that runs throughout the book, although it takes very different shapes for Sutton and for Jane. How is each woman's professional calling displayed in who she is and how she relates to the people around her? Is there a difference between plans and dreams? How does each woman evolve in her thinking about her work and her purpose in the world by the story's end?

  7. Especially as her father's lies and betrayals come to public light, Sutton is torn by her sense of duty toward her mother. There is clearly love between mother and daughter, but who cares for whom in their relationship and in what ways? Who do you think knows what is best for Priscilla? What does Sutton ultimately discover about her own feelings of protectiveness and obligation toward her mother? Could their family story have unfolded differently if Priscilla had not had MS?

  8. Fate, fortune, and destiny come up often in
Confucius Jane.
Which characters cling most tightly to a belief in fate? How does upbringing determine destiny, and what happens when some of the characters stray from the fortune set out for them? Do you believe that our future is already written? How important is free will in determining the paths that our lives take or the relationships that we enter into? Was Sutton and Jane's love “meant to be”—and what does each of them believe about that?

  9. Katie Lynch explores ideas of belonging and otherness throughout the story, primarily through Sutton's journey. How does Sutton “fit in” in the Chinatown community, and how does she seem out of place? Indeed, how does she fit in within her biological family? What other characters begin as “outsiders” to various communities? What about Jane makes her able to be a bridge between Sutton and the world that Jane grew up in?

10. Sue makes what she feels is a crucial point about the connectedness of all people and all energies in their community when she tells both Jane and Sutton that Jane's pain is felt far beyond herself. Do you believe that one individual's experience can ripple through an entire community even when that community is not directly, tangibly affected by that person's situation? Are our energies connected to those of the people in our daily lives? How do those connections show themselves?

11. Sutton's ultimate discoveries about her parents lead her to make a radical shift in her plans and her loyalties. What are each of her parents' priorities, for themselves and for her? What do they want from her and for her, and what does she want for herself? What forms does love take in Sutton's biological family? How do you feel about the decisions she ultimately makes regarding her connection to them?

12. Sutton has been raised, all her life, to be a surgeon—focused, perfectionistic, driven, logical, and precise. Do you think that this was what she herself always wanted? As children, how much do we internalize our parents' desires for us to grow in certain directions? Sutton has dedicated her life to excelling as a surgeon, but what does her growing interest in research say about both her own desires and her personality? How do the two career paths differ, and which one do you think represents her most accurately?

Reading Group Guide copyright © 2015

by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

tor-forge.com

 

A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR

Katie Lynch
is the director of the MTS Honors Program at SUNY Rockland Community College, where she also teaches English. She lives with her wife, son, and dogs in New York City's West Village. You can sign up for email updates
here
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