From Sand and Ash

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What were the most emotionally engaging or tense parts of the book for you?

2. Discuss the World War II setting and its effect on your reading experience.

3. How does the author balance themes of faith, survival, and courage along with the romantic storyline?

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

1. Have you ever faced a situation where you had to choose between personal desires and moral obligations? How did you handle this conflict?

2. Discuss a time when you or someone you know displayed extraordinary courage in a crisis.

3. How do the characters’ varying relationships with faith compare to your own experience with religions or other belief systems?

4. Have you ever experienced the kind of enduring love Eva and Angelo have, either romantic or platonic?

5. Have you ever had to conceal parts of your identity or beliefs to protect yourself or others?

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

1. Discuss the novel’s depiction of the complex relationship between the Catholic Church and Jewish communities during World War II. What did you learn about this dynamic, and how does it relate to interfaith relations in today’s world?

2. What does the novel have to say about how ordinary citizens can become complicit in persecution?

3. Explore how the novel shows the various ways people can resist injustice.

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

1. What is the significance of the inclusion of Eva’s journal entries, and how do they affect your experience of the story?

2. Discuss the use of the forbidden love trope. How does Angelo and Eva’s relationship resonate with those of other star-crossed lovers in literature? How does it push the trope in new directions?

3. Explore the significance of the title as it relates to the theme of destruction and creation in the novel.

4. Identify specific geographic locations Harmon uses as settings in the story. How do the history and setting of Florence and Rome impact the story?

5. What does violin music symbolize for Eva and her family? Discuss the symbolic role of art in the novel overall.

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If this book were adapted into a movie, who would you cast as Angelo and Eva, and why?

2. Choose one historical element from the story and research it further. For example, research the Catholic Church’s hiding of Jewish refugees.