Several people have been in touch to say they are reading the book as their book club read, which is mind-blowingly exciting for me but I will try to remain calm and do what I came on here to do; write some discussion questions.
- Which of our three protagonists do you connect with the most and why?
2) Which of our three protagonists left the deepest mark on the village and why?
3) In the novel, each of the three women must make difficult choices. Which choice resonated with you?
4) There is a lot of death and grief in Three. How does the author prevent this from becoming too overwhelming?
5) What role do plants play in this novel?
6) How does the author make use of foreshadowing in he narrative?
7) A reviewer describes this telling of the story of the Eyam plague as ‘reimagined for the Covid-19 generation’. In what ways do you think that writing this particular novel during a pandemic added to Jennifer Jenkins’ storytelling?
8) Does the novel have anything to say to us today about how to deal with the impact of a pandemic?
9) What parallels can you draw between the difficulties Emmott, Catherine and Elizabeth face and those faced by people around the world today during the Cover-19 pandemic?
10) Is there a particular part of the story that you felt most connection with as a reader?
11) Which chapter in the novel was the most pivotal for you as a reader?
12) What place does faith and religion have in the book? Does this give an insight into how such disasters would have been navigated at the time?
13) The main protagonists in the novel barely meet. How does the author make the narrative cohesive?
14) Did Elizabeth do the right thing at the end of the novel? What would you have done in her shoes?
15) What does switching to male narrators at the end do to the overall storytelling? Does it detract from the concept of Three as a feminist retelling of a typically-male-centred story?
I16) f you could change anything about the novel, what would it be?
17) What is your favourite quote from the novel?
I am always keen to know which lines and passages from the novel have really stuck with people. Please do share your favourite quotes in the comment box below.
Three: The Tale of Brave Women and the Eyam Plague by Jennifer Jenkins 