 Sweet
Hush
Reader's Guide
1. The Jacobs are loosely modeled after
some familiar First Couples. Who do you think they most
resemble? 2. Deborah Smith never mentions the
President's political party by name. Which party do you
think he belongs to, and why? 3. In Sweet Hush, Nick Jacobek
is a Lt. Colonel, and happens to be the President's nephew. In
real life, do you think a prominent military officer could stay
on active duty after a close member of his family is elected
President? 4. Hush embodies a
stand-by-your-man philosophy (regarding her late husband, Davy)
that is often portrayed in novels set in the south. Can you
think of other literary examples of stoic southern wives? 5. The book's Georgia mountain setting, with
its apple farm, is described in loving detail. Southern writers
seem to put a lot of importance on "place" as a vivid influence
on the lives and motives of their characters. Do you think this
is primarily a focus of southern writers, or do writers from
other regions display the same fondness for "Going home, to
Tara." 6. Hush's relationship with her son,
Davis, is both trusting and over-protective. Discuss other
notable examples of mother/son conflicts in fiction. 7. Hush and First Lady Edwina Jacobs
have a deliciously wicked "friendship" built on mutual
antipathy, yet they are alike in being strong, compassionate
women. What makes you uncomfortable about the portrayal of
women's roles in modern fiction? Do modern female characters
often seem too strong, or still not strong enough? 8. Hush and Nick's romance is mature
but also vibrantly reckless. What is your idea of the
perfect man? And what would he have to do to win your
devotion? 9. Do you believe in love in first
sight, which seems to happen to Hush and Nick? 10. If you suddenly became nationally
-- and even internationally -- famous -- as Hush does after her
son marries the President's daughter -- what do you think would
be the worst drawback to that fame? What would be the best
thing about it? |
