I’ve been asked to a few book clubs lately. We didn’t add book club questions at the back of “Dust,” but with the booking of so many clubs, I decided that I would come up with a few of my own. “Dust” is a complicated story (of sorts), which meant a few more than the standard ten questions. Also, my prayer is that “Dust” will genuinely speak to the reader. Speak to them personally. So, you’ll find a few “this is for you” questions in this list as well.
Let’s get started:
- If Allison had known about Michelle before saying “I do” at the altar, do you think she would have gone ahead with the wedding? Why or why not?
- What, in your opinion, came first for Westley—falling in love with Allison or seeing her as the perfect “mother” for Michelle?
- What do you think the scene in which Westley offers to send the delivery boy to Mrs. Morgan’s with her medication was about? How does it tie to his “life by the seat of the pants” personality?
- What is Cindie looking for in Westley and Patterson?
- The Book of Job has a line that goes like this: What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me (3:25). How does that relate to Michelle’s decision to go live with Cindie? How does it relate to Allison?
- Do you agree with Westley’s decision to allow Michelle to let her go?
- Have you ever had to make a similar decision? How did it effect your life and the lives around you?
- Why do you think Biff was introduced into the story?
- Who do you think had the greatest influence in Allison’s life?
- How alike and how different are Cindie and Miss Justine?
- What do you believe drives Patterson? (The clues are in the first pages and in Chapter 26.)
- Keeping “The Butterfly Effect” in mind, do you believe our lives can be influenced by the decisions of those we may never meet?
- In the end, Allison realizes that her life held a greater meaning than she’d known. Looking back over your life, can you say or see the same?
- How do you feel about Michelle’s decision to keep Cindie at arm’s length?
- Do you believe there will ever be any hope for Cindie?
- In what ways are Allison and Ro-Bay alike? Why do you believe there was such a bond between them?
- Dust holds both proper passion and misdirected passion. Why do you believe passion drives us to make so many right—and wrong—decisions?
- Socrates said, “Our lives are but specs of dust.” Kerry Livgren wrote, “All we are is dust in the wind.” God said, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” How do you feel about that?
- Why do you think the book begins with a “before” and an “after”?
- Allison rearing Michelle led to Michelle’s award-winning work in gynecological science, although in Allison’s mind, she was simply loving a child. Who most influenced you in your life? How?