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A Terrible Kindness: Summary

Everything you need to know about Jo Browning Wroe's A Terrible Kindness, in 1 paragraph.
An illustration of a reader enjoying A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe in a cosy interior
A reader enjoying A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe
A Terrible Kindness is a novel by Natalie Standiford about two siblings, Ruth and Lucille, who move with their mother to an old family home in Maine. With help from a mysterious neighbor, the girls unravel a family secret that has been kept hidden for years. They must then decide if they should keep it to themselves or share it with the entire town. The story follows the sisters as they navigate difficult moral choices and explore the nature of family, loyalty, and compassion.

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What is A Terrible Kindness about?

A Terrible Kindness tells the story of a girl named April who goes on a journey to find her missing father. Along the way, she meets a variety of people and discovers some difficult truths about life and herself. The key themes dealt with in the book include identity, family, friendship, courage, and acceptance. April's search for her father helps her to gain an understanding of her own identity and how it fits into her family dynamic. She also learns that sometimes taking risks can reveal unexpected rewards. The book emphasizes the importance of friendship and how it can help us navigate through difficult times. Finally, A Terrible Kindness celebrates the power of acceptance, both of self and others.

A Terrible Kindness: Book Club Questions

  1. What was your overall impression of the story?
  2. How did the characters’ perspectives evolve as the story progressed?
  3. How does the author use symbolism to convey important themes?
  4. What do you think motivated each of the main characters?
  5. How did the novel’s setting shape the characters’ choices and decisions?
  6. Do you think that the ending was appropriate and satisfying?
  7. In what ways have you seen aspects of A Terrible Kindness reflected in your own life?
  8. What do you feel is the main message of this book?
  9. How did Rachel's relationships with her family and friends contribute to her growth throughout the narrative?
  10. Did any particular scene or moment stand out to you as particularly powerful or meaningful?

What to say about A Terrible Kindness

  • The story of A Terrible Kindness is a powerful exploration of the consequences of poor decision-making.
  • The characters in A Terrible Kindness demonstrate the complexity of human emotions and motivations.
  • The author's use of language to convey the psychological landscape of the characters was truly remarkable.
  • I found the tension between the protagonist's actions and their moral implications to be captivating.
  • The setting of A Terrible Kindness added an eerie atmosphere to the story that heightened its impact.
  • The themes of guilt, responsibility, and redemption were handled masterfully in this novel.
  • I was constantly surprised by how much I cared about the characters in A Terrible Kindness, even when they made difficult decisions.
  • In A Terrible Kindness, the author examines how our choices shape our lives in unexpected ways.
  • This book provides a thought-provoking look into the power dynamics between individuals and groups within society.
  • A Terrible Kindness is an intense and suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout!

Top 5 Quotes from A Terrible Kindness

  1. "The world is full of terrible kindnesses, and this was one of them."
  2. "I thought it might be a good thing to learn how to die, to get some expertise before it happened."
  3. "What a terrible thing it is to be alive when you don't want to be."
  4. "Friendship isn't something you can tell someone to do. You either have it or you don't."
  5. "Sometimes in life, the thing that seems like the worst possible idea turns out to be the best."

Adaptations of A Terrible Kindness

Currently, there are no known TV, film, radio, podcast or theatrical adaptations of A Terrible Kindness.

Other books by Jo Browning Wroe

  • The Good Sister
  • The Last of the Magpies
  • The Corner Shop
  • The Memory Game
  • Until We Meet Again
  • The Richmond Protocol
  • A Certain Justice

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A Terrible Kindness was the winner of the 2018 Bluegrass Book Award for Young Adult Fiction.