Hachette Livre

Hachette Reading Group Guides

Welcome to our Reading Group guide for A Small Part of History by Peggy Elliott. We invite you to consider and discuss the following questions when reading this book:

  1. Would you have wanted to go west if you were Rebecca?
  2. What was the most moving scene in A SMALL PART OF HISTORY for you?
  3. Do you think Rebecca could have done anything to improve her relationship with Sarah earlier in the novel?
  4. At what point do you think Sarah and Rebecca bonded properly for the first time?
  5. The author uses a combination of narrative, recipes and diary entries to tell her story – did you think this worked? Can you think of other novels where the author has also chosen to do this?
  6. Do you think Rebecca would have been content in Oregon if she’d survived the journey?
  7. Were you surprised by the extent to which the women continued to adhere to traditional societal mores on the trail?
  8. 'If women were allowed the decisions, they would never be separated from their families.' Discuss.
  9. Do you think Rebecca and John have a good marriage?
  10. Does John’s relationship with Sarah differ to that of his relationship with his sons?
  11. Discuss the role of religion in A SMALL PART OF HISTORY

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  10. Remembering The Bones by Frances Itani
  11. The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton
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  16. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
  17. The Sisterhood by Emily Barr
  18. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
  19. The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie
  20. The Return by Victoria Hislop
  21. A Small Part of History by Peggy Elliott
  22. A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley
  23. Scapegallows by Carol Birch
  24. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
  25. Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
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  29. Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott
  30. The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle
  31. Golden Age by Tahmima Anam
  32. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
  33. The Keep by Jennifer Egan
  34. The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther
  35. Pirate’s Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
  36. The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
  37. April in Paris by Michael Wallner
  38. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
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  41. Red River by Lalita Tademy
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  43. Rosetta by Barbara Ewing
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