B00CZBQ63C EBOK (30 page)

Discussion Questions

1. Which characters were your favorites? Did you identify with their struggles? Why or why not?

2. Though Amelia and Laurie joke about listing men based on their looks, Laurie’s top priority in romance is finding a man she can trust. What traits top (or topped) your list?

3. Ray Burke is a man broken by grief, war, and addiction. Did you feel sympathy or anger toward him? Did that change throughout the story? What must he do to break the hold alcoholism has on his life?

4. Laurie tells Daniel she loved him from practically the moment they met. Have you ever experienced love at first sight? Do you believe it exists? Why or why not?

5. Daniel hides his past from Laurie, afraid she won’t love him if she knows the truth. Have you ever hidden parts of yourself from someone you cared about? Is there one person who knows all of your deep secrets and what led you to trust that person?

6. Laurie says Amelia is the one constant in her life, and yet Laurie still kept secrets from her. Do you have a friend who has been present for all your highs and lows and loved you anyway? It might be the same person from question five, or it might not. If it’s not the same, what makes these two individuals different?

7. Laurie makes several mistaken assumptions about people in the story. Explain a time when you made a snap judgment about someone only to discover you were wrong.

8. Daniel’s proposal to Laurie is interrupted when they are forced to flee from the Coast Guard. If you are married, was your proposal a magical moment, or were there some bumps in the road? If you’re single, how do you imagine that moment?

9. Daniel keeps a coin in his pocket as a reminder of both his temperance vows and of how easily he can fail without God’s help. Do you have any visible reminders of God’s work in your life?

10. “In his mind [Daniel] saw the ferric acid solution cascading down the side of the show globe, piercing the layers of beautiful color, and poisoning everything in its path.” Think about the imagery in this scene. What does it represent? Has there been a time when you’ve made a bad choice and it rippled through your life with unexpected consequences?

11. In the end, Laurie chooses to place her trust in God instead of any man. She also chooses to love Daniel. Do you think Laurie made the right choice in the end? Why or why not?

12. Can you separate love and trust? Should you? What are some cases when this would be the wrong decision?

13. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the L
ord
with all thine heart; and lead not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Think back to each of the characters. How might their stories have been different if they had trusted God to direct their steps? How would your life story change if you remembered to put your trust in God alone?

14. Does trusting in God mean your path will be easy? What’s the difference between a straight path and an easy one?

Interview with Karen Barnett

What’s the story behind the story? Where did you get the idea for
Mistaken
?

Mistaken
was inspired by an amusing anecdote from my family history. Like the character Johnny Burke, my grandfather lived in Port Angeles during Prohibition. In later life, he told stories of how he and a few coworkers from the paper mill would row across to Victoria to buy Canadian whiskey. On one return journey, they were confronted on the beach by G-men and had to flee for their lives. In later years he accused my grandmother of turning them in, but she refused to ever speak of it. We don’t even know if the story was true or just family lore, but I thought it was an irresistible premise for a book. I wondered if my grandmother had actually reported them and why she might have chosen to do that. She became the inspiration behind Laurie’s character. Everything else in the story is complete imagination.

What part of researching this time period was most interesting to you?

I did most of my study through books, history museums, and the Internet, but I also enjoyed touring the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, which has an unbelievable collection of vintage automobiles, including dozens from the time period. A friend and I had a great time visiting Fairley’s Pharmacy in Portland, Oregon, an authentic 1920’s- era drugstore and soda fountain. A wonderful soda jerk named Mercedes taught us all about egg creams, phosphates, green rivers, and ice cream sodas. Research can be very fattening.

Your main character, Laurie, learns that first impressions are never what they seem. Can you tell about first impressions—when to trust them and when to question them?

Like Laurie, I often struggle with judging people too quickly. The difficulty with this is that most people have many different layers to their personalities and their characters. We all have layers and we also wear masks to hide our true identities. It takes time and honesty to get down to the heart of who we are.

How much of yourself do you put into your characters? How difficult is it to make historical characters come alive?

Laurie is very much like me: quiet, observant, private, and introspective. In many ways, Laurie is putting on an act so that no one knows the truth about her family. In my case, I often put on a mask of being outgoing and vivacious to conceal the insecure woman hiding within. I don’t find it difficult to write historical characters because even though our situations and styles may differ from other times in history, I believe we still have many of the same needs and fears. Deep down, we long to be loved and accepted. We fear rejection and failure. And even more deeply, I think our human souls hunger for an intimate connection to God.

This is your debut novel. Tell us about how this book—and your career as an author—came about.

I’ve always been a voracious reader. The library is my happy place, and there’s nothing I love better than perusing the stacks and finding new treasures. As a child, I dreamed about giving back to my library and filling their shelves with even more books. Over the years I started many stories but, like many aspiring writers, never seemed to finish one. After graduating from college, I spent a few years working as a park ranger before marrying and having a family. When my youngest child started school, I began writing in earnest. I met author Robin Jones Gunn at a Christian camp and she encouraged me to attend the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, held every year over Palm Sunday weekend near Santa Clara, California. The conference was a life-changer for me and helped me turn my writing from a simple hobby to a career. I attended several conferences after that, learning as much as I could about the craft of writing and about the industry. I met my agent at Mount Hermon and my future editor at the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference.

What are you working on now?

I am currently writing a three-book series set in 1906 San Francisco, the first of which will be arriving in bookstores next spring. The main character, Abby Fischer, prays for a miracle for her dying sister but doesn’t expect the answer to come in the form of the handsome Doctor Robert King. When Robert’s innovative treatment fails, Abby’s grief is surpassed only by the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake and fires. Will Abby finally find God—and love—in the ruins?

Where can readers find you online?

I love connecting with readers, and I know many people have their own fun Prohibition-era family legends. I’d love to hear them! I have a website located at www.KarenBarnettBooks.com or you can find me on various social media outlets:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KarenBarnettAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenMBarnett

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/karenbarnett/