House of Daughters
by Sarah-Kate Lynch
List Price: $14.00
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780452289383
Publisher: Plume
Lonely Clementine is the rightful heir to the House of Peine, the vineyard that has been in the family for generations. She has spent her whole life caring for the vines, not to mention her sour brute of a father. But now the Peine patriarch is dead, and to Clementine’s distress his will stipulates that she must share the vineyard with a half-sister she hasn’t seen in twenty years and another she didn’t even know existed. Secrets tumble out as the three sisters struggle to rescue the family heritage while overcoming their own differences. As a precious blend of grapes, tears and triumph brings these estranged siblings together, readers will savor this heartfelt toast to sisterhood and inspired celebration of champagne.
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1. The three sisters in this novel are very different. Do you see any similarities?
2. How are you different from, or like, your siblings? Do your differences and similarities draw you closer to your siblings?
3. The relationship between sisters has long been a subject of fascination in literature. Why do you think readers are so interested in sisters?
4. Clementine's father is a difficult man at the beginning of the novel. Did you find him more sympathetic by the end of the novel?
5. Which sister did you relate to the most? Why?
6. How important was the setting in the novel to you? Did it enrich or limit your experience of the story in any ways? Could you imagine this story set in a different environment?
7. Which essential part of champagne-making reflects the relationship between the sisters?
8. Sarah-Kate Lynch chose the names of her characters deliberately. Each sister is named after a quality she does not have at the beginning of the novel, but has been recognized for at the end. Can you pick those three qualities?
9. How important is a name in shaping a person's character in real life? How does a character's name influence your impressions of the character?
10. The novel is set in France and written as though perhaps translated from French. Did you use the glossary to translate the French words? Did you find the French words distracting or endearing?
11. The novel is set in France and written as though perhaps translated from French. Did you use the glossary to translate the French words? Did you find the French words distracting or endearing?
12. The three sisters all fall for Hector. Did you believe they were all in love with him? Why do you think each sister needed Hector’s attentions at that particular moment in their lives?
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