A Fall of Marigolds

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Clara and Taryn both find themselves in “in-between” places after their losses—Clara literally on Ellis Island and Taryn emotionally suspended between past and future. What insights about navigating life’s transitional periods did you gain from their different approaches to moving forward?

2. The marigold scarf in the novel represents different things to each character—connection, memory, destiny, resilience. What objects in your life have taken on deeper symbolic meanings during significant life transitions?

3. Clara struggles with whether she has the right to grieve Edward since they never had a formal relationship. How have you observed societal expectations shaping the ways people express or suppress their emotions in similar situations?

4. Andrew tells Clara that falling in love with Lily was “like stepping into a room […] one I’d never been inside before. And I stepped in because I wanted to” (131). How does this perspective on powerful connections compare with your own understanding of how meaningful relationships form?

5. Both protagonists eventually reach a turning point where they must choose between clinging to memories or opening themselves to new possibilities. What aspects of their decision-making processes did you find most authentic or surprising?

6. When Clara discovers the letter revealing Lily’s deception, she faces a moral dilemma about whether to share this painful truth with Andrew. What considerations would guide your decision in a similar situation where truth might cause profound pain?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Both the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the 9/11 attacks were transformative events in American history that led to significant social and political changes. How effectively does Meissner portray the broader societal impact of these tragedies beyond the personal stories of Clara and Taryn?

2. Ellis Island serves as a powerful setting in the novel, representing both hope and limbo for immigrants. How does the novel’s portrayal of immigration in 1911 reflect or contrast with contemporary discussions about immigration and the immigrant experience in America?

3. The novel contrasts how Taryn’s public grief after 9/11 was respected and understood, while Clara felt she had to hide her grief because it wasn’t seen as legitimate. How do societal expectations and historical context shape the ways people are permitted to express grief and trauma?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Meissner uses color imagery extensively throughout the novel, from Clara’s attraction to “vibrant hues” to Taryn reimagining 9/11 “in different colors” (22, 91). How does this technique enhance the storytelling and develop the themes of the book?

2. Keats’ poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn” plays a significant role in Clara’s story. How do the poem’s themes—particularly the tension between frozen perfection and lived experience—parallel the central conflicts in the novel?

3. How does the symbolic meaning of the marigold scarf evolve throughout the novel? How effectively does this plot element of the scarf connect the two timelines separated by a century?

4. The novel explores different types of love—romantic love, maternal love, friendship, and even love at first sight. How does Meissner distinguish between these forms of love, and what statement does she ultimately make about love’s power?

5. How do Ethan, Dolly, and Mick prompt change in the protagonists’ lives? How do these supporting characters drive forward the emotional development of Clara and Taryn?

6. The concept of “in-between” places recurs throughout the novel—Ellis Island, the fabric store, even the scarf itself. How do these liminal spaces function in the narrative and what do they reveal about the characters’ emotional states?