A Year of Marvelous Ways

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the blend of magical realism, like Marvelous’s mermaid lineage and the tide of starfish, with the harsh realities of postwar Britain affect your reading experience? Did you find that these two elements worked well together, and what emotions did their combination evoke for you?

2. Winman often explores themes of grief and unconventional families, as seen in her other novels Tin Man and Still Life. If you’ve read her other work, how does A Year of Marvelous Ways feel similar or different? If this is your first encounter with her work, what did you think of her approach to these topics?

3. How did you feel about the novel’s ending, with Marvelous’s final journey into the water and Drake’s discovery of his father? Did you find this conclusion to their intertwined stories satisfying?

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

1. Marvelous believes that sharing personal histories is a powerful way to heal. Think about a story from your own life or family. What purpose does that story serve, and how has the act of telling or hearing it shaped your understanding of your own history?

2. Marvelous and Drake form a “chosen family” that ultimately saves them both. Looking at your own life, have you ever formed a deep, life-altering connection with someone in an unexpected way? What do you think allows strangers to forge such deep relationships?

3. Peace Rundle’s return to St. Ophere is an act of reclaiming a place defined by her family’s painful past. Have you ever revisited a place that holds significant memories for you? In what ways had the place changed, and how had your perspective on it evolved over time?

4. What do you make of Marvelous’s distinction between simple waiting and the more active state of “diligence”? Can you recall a time in your life when you’ve had to practice this kind of patient, purposeful watchfulness for something to unfold?

5. The Cornish landscape offers a sanctuary for characters healing from trauma. Is there a particular place in nature or your community that you turn to for comfort or clarity? What is it about that environment that you find restorative?

6. Drake constructs an image of his father from his mother’s stories and magazine clippings. Think about a person you know primarily through stories told by others. How did those narratives shape your impression of that person?

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

1. The novel paints a bleak picture of postwar Britain, marked by rationing, emotional stoicism, and physical ruin. In what ways do you see the long-term effects of large-scale conflict shaping communities today?

2. Late in the novel, we learn that Marvelous’s mother was a woman of color, a fact that sheds light on the prejudice her family endured. What does the story of the Lady of the Sea suggest about race, isolation, and belonging in rural England during that historical period?

3. In the 1940s, soldiers’ trauma was often dismissed as “combat fatigue” rather than recognized as PTSD. How does the novel’s portrayal of Drake’s and Simeon Rundle’s suffering comment on how society has historically understood and treated the mental health of its veterans?

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

1. How does the recurring motif of water, specifically the tidal creek, reflect the emotional and spiritual journeys of the characters? How does the role of the Cornish creek contrast with that of the River Thames in London?

2. The narrative shifts between Marvelous’s mythic, folklore-infused world and Drake’s historically grounded, traumatic one. What is the effect of this structural juxtaposition as the story unfolds? At what point, for you, did these two distinct realities begin to merge?

3. What is Missy Hall’s ultimate role in the novel? Given that she is primarily seen through Drake’s memories, how does the final revelation that she survived reshape your understanding of her character and her impact on Drake’s journey?

4. The boathouse transforms from a “tomb” of Marvelous’s grief into a sanctuary of healing for Drake. In what ways does Winman use this physical space to map the internal changes happening within both characters?

5. The novel uses elements of magical realism like the talking boat, the starfish appearing as an omen, and the egg-white divination. How did this aspect of the novel shape your understanding of the characters’ world? Does it feel more like folklore, faith, or magic to you?

6. Birds, like the linnet that flies free after Missy’s apparent death, appear at key moments. How does this motif connect to the emotional journeys of the characters?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine writing your own Book of Truths like Marvelous’s. What single item, photograph, or memory would you place inside its pages to represent the core of your story, and why?

2. If you were choosing the soundtrack for a film adaptation of this book, which songs would you select to represent the two distinct atmospheres of the Cornish creek and postwar London? 

3. Peace is taught that bread can hold memories and even emotions. If you were to bake a loaf inspired by a particular feeling, like hope, comfort, or resilience, what ingredients would you choose to express that essence?