Bookclub Questions for ‘The Angel Tree’
1) At the heart of ‘The Angel Tree’ are different kinds of mother-daughter relationships. Do you feel the love between a mother and a daughter is different to any other kind of love?
2) Dealing with fame is a large theme in this book. How do you feel the stardom that Cheska experienced was different than to what it is today?
3) Discuss in what different ways the characters express their grief over Jonny’s death. How does the trauma affect each of them?
4) Did your feelings towards the characters stay the same throughout the novel, or did your loyalties shift? Which characters did you find the most intriguing?
5) The events of the story span a vast amount of time, beginning in 1945 and ending in 1985. Which time period did you enjoy reading about the most?
6) To what extent do our memories shape us as people? How do you feel Greta changes as she learns more about her past?
7) Although Greta, Cheska and Ava are all very different women, growing up in different time periods, do you feel they have anything in common?
8) Cheska’s perception of reality is often quite tenuous. Discuss how the novel approaches this and how her perspective is described.
9) If you have read other novels by Lucinda Riley, how does this novel differ from her other works? Do you recognise elements of her writing style?
10) Trauma and mental health are prevalent themes in this book. How do you feel Cheska’s life would have been different had she been given the care she needed?
11) Greta makes great sacrifices to support Cheska as a single mother. How do you think attitudes towards single mothers have changed in society throughout the decades?
12) Forgiveness and revenge is something that many characters, such as Cheska and Greta, struggle with. Do you think the book ends with all the characters finding forgiveness in their lives? Do you think it is possible to fully forgive someone?