Sweet Karoline (31 page)
Authors: Catherine Astolfo
Message
from the Author
Dear Reader,
I sincerely hope you enjoyed the ride that was Anne's journey. I actually "met" her three years ago, but got sidetracked from writing by breast cancer. Fortunately I was a lucky woman; my experience was relatively easy. The women who survived, or did not survive, are my heroes.
Lots of people wonder why I write such dark novels. I don't usually consider them "dark" myself, because they always end with hope and love conquering all. In a way, that does happen with
Sweet Karoline
, too. I am simply fascinated with the human condition and all its facets, but I have a strong belief that we can overcome evil with goodness. Thus in my life I am quite a joyful optimist.
The best part about being a published author is getting to share what I have written. So please, don't hesitate to contact me and tell me what you think (politely please). Visit my website—and virtually, me. I would write anyway, but the delight is in knowing you've read my book.
Please do remember what I said about "never allowing the facts to get in the way of a good story". That's the motto I follow, so everything in this book has been brushed with a wild imagination. I hope you suspended belief and simply enjoyed.
Next up are a young adult book (a ghost story of course) and a cozy (not so dark this time). I hope you stay with me as a reader fan for a long, long time!
~ Cathy
Book Club Questions by Frances Daley
1.
Who was writing the diary at the end of each chapter?
2.
What betrayal did Karoline feel that caused her to inflict such pain on her "friends"?
3.
Why do you think Karoline impersonated Anne with her birth family?
4.
The passages set in Italy made Karoline seem "attractive" in Anne's eyes. She made a similar comment about the picture of her with Dembi. What was it that made Karoline attractive on those occasions?
5.
Did the author convince the reader that Anne was as shallow and self-absorbed as the character continually focused on, or was that only Anne's perception of herself?
6.
Were you surprised that Giulio and Paulo ended up together?
7.
The confession Anne made to Ethan was only a half-truth. Or was it? If it was only partly honest, why was she able to be content with herself?
8.
Why would Karoline have been involved with Glenn? Was the relationship intended to upset Anne or was it to keep him close because he was related to the artist CoJon?
9.
What particular passage or image is most vivid in your mind after reading the novel?
10.
Was time intentionally manipulated to keep the reader unsure of what stage Anne was in her "development"?
11.
Is Ice Queen Anne a good description of her character when she becomes forceful? Why or why not?
12.
Women dominate the storyline in "Sweet Karoline". Is it fitting that Memé is the one that brings down Glenn at the end of the novel?
13.
Why did Vera create such a complex history for herself and inflict it on her children?
14.
Could the relationship with the triplets have been just as effective with them being siblings only? Why or why not?
15.
There seems to be a fixation on appearances in the novel. What is the author saying about physical beauty?
16.
Family history plays a key role in the unraveling of the novel. Why do you think Karoline's background isn't more fully developed?
17.
What is the significance that the CoJon paintings paid for the apartment?
18.
What questions do you have unanswered at the end of the novel?
19.
What role does setting play in this novel?
20.
The blend of the three distinct racial groups in a town named for Freedom is very vividly brought out during the powwow. Is it significant that the Johnstons retain the land when they seem to be so corrupt? Why or why not?
About
the Author
Catherine
Astolfo retired in 2002 after a very successful 34 years in education. Catherine received the Elementary Dufferin-Peel OECTA Award for Outstanding Service in 1998. She was also awarded Dufferin-Peel Catholic Elementary Principal of the Year in 2002 by the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario.
Catherine is a past President of Crime Writers of Canada and a Derrick Murdoch Award winner (2012). She was a Zonta Club 2012 Nominee for Women of Achievement.
Writing is Catherine’s passion. She can recall inventing fantasy stories for her classmates in Grade Three. Her short stories and poems have been published in a number of literary Canadian presses. In 2005, she won a Brampton Arts Award. Her short stories won the Bloody Words Short Story Award (second and first) in 2009 and 2010. She won the prestigious Arthur Ellis Best Short Crime Story Award in 2012.
Catherine’s novel series, The Emily Taylor Mysteries, are published by Imajin Books and are optioned for film by Sisbro & Co. Inc.
Visit Catherine at:
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