Analyze Michael’s fear of betraying his cousin after John’s death. Consider how Michael’s impassioned declaration that “[he’s] not John” relates to the emotional cost of his secret six-year love for Francesca (56). Also consider how Michael conducts himself as the new earl.

Analyze the role of micro and macro settings in Michael and Francesca’s evolving internal experiences and dynamic relationship. Consider how they behave or emote differently in London versus Scotland or in the gazebo, gravesite, or bedchambers.

The novel explores The Pressures of Fertility on Intimate Life. How does Quinn represent the social pressures placed on women to conceive? How do others regard Francesca’s body in comparison to how she regards and conducts herself?

Analyze the secondary characters’ roles in Francesca’s and Michael’s character arcs. What parts do Colin, Eloise, and Violet play in the main characters’ storylines? How do they influence Francesca’s and Michael’s outlooks on grief, identity, and love?

Analyze Quinn’s use of color throughout the novel to explore and reify the characters’ emotions. Consider how the characters’ garments, the decor or furnishings of a room, and the appearance of an outdoor setting illustrate the unspoken aspects of the characters’ inner worlds.

Identify three symbols not explored in the guide and analyze their significance. For example, what might John’s headache, the blood stain on Francesca’s chair, or the peonies represent, and how do they relate to the novel’s themes of loss, fertility, or love?

To what extent does Michael’s malaria operate as a plot device? How do his recurring bouts of the illness offer him and Francesca opportunities for intimacy? How might Michael’s illness represent a psychosomatic response to his inheritance?

Analyze the narrative role and effects of the second Epilogue. How do these depictions of Michael and Francesca’s life after their marriage challenge the “happily ever after” trope and complicate the traditional marriage plot?