FIZA SAEED McLYNN
BOOK CLUBS
Discussing The Midnight Carousel
I LOVE talking about my novel with readers! If your Book Club would like me to join you either in person or online, please get in touch via the Contact Page, or message me on Instagram. In the meantime, the questions below are intended as a useful starting point for exploring the themes and issues raised in the story. Enjoy!
BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS
1. Why do you think the story was centred around a carousel? Would it have worked with any other fairground ride?
2. Discuss the significance of Maisie’s rituals. Do any other characters display a similar reliance on routine/habits?
3. Apart from physical attraction, what drew Maisie and Laurent together?
4. Many of the characters suffer from grief. Which of them have the healthiest coping mechanism? In an era before therapy, what do you think they could have done to help themselves?
5. A theme of ‘being different’ runs through the story. Which characters, apart from Maisie, might have felt like outsiders, for one reason or another? Is this something you’ve experienced in your own life?
6. Were there certain scenes that provoked strong emotions in you?
7. What do you think of Nancy and her behaviour? How much sympathy do you feel for her? Do you think attitudes towards women's health have significantly changed since the 1920s?
8. Some of Maisie’s choices might be considered unwise. Do you think she had valid reasons for making those decisions? What might she have done differently?
9. Examine how the author portrays parent-child relationships. What complexities are revealed through these bonds?
10. From all the clues and evidence presented in the book, what do you believe were Gilbert’s intentions when he built the carousel?
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​'Dazzling...shimmering throughout with delicious, dark mystery, this is a fast-paced, elegenatky
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