Eoin Dempsey
Here on the site! Sorry it took me so long to answer! Here are some questions for your club.
Book Club Questions for White Rose Black Forest
1. What did you think of the title of the book? Did you find that it aroused your curiosity? What did you think of the title after having read the novel?
2. Would you have done what Franka did upon finding the man in the snow?
3. Why do you think Franka did what she did upon finding the man in the snow?
4. How well do you think the novel depicts the paranoid atmosphere of living in Nazi Germany?
5. How far do you think Franka would have gone to protect the man in the snow? Do you think she would have shot the old man who almost came across them on the trail?
6. What do you think John’s plan was when he first discovered himself in the cabin, alone with Franka?
7. Do you think that Berkel and other Nazis like him were inherently bad people, picked out to do the bidding of the party because of their nature, or were they turned bad by the conditioning they underwent in the Hitler Youth and the constant propaganda they were subject to?
8. What do you think of the role of women in Nazi Germany? Were you aware of the subjugation of women under Hitler’s regime?
9. When do you think John begins to truly trust Franka?
10. What did you think of the true story of the White Rose movement? Who did you admire the most?
11. Did Hans go too far with the movement? Should he have stepped back at the end as the Gestapo was closing in?
12. What did you think of Fredi’s story? How would you react if this was done to one of your family members?
13. Would you have joined the Hitler Youth/League of German Girls if you grew up in Germany in the 1930’s? How do you think you would have reacted to the peer pressure of being a teenager in Nazi Germany?
14. Why do you think so many people were seduced by the Nazis? Why were some able to resist?
15. Do you think the Nazis ever truly cared about the German people?
16. Who is your favorite character in the book, why?
17. Why did John join the Marine Corps? Why didn’t he join the Army as an officer as was his station in life?
18. Do you think John and his wife ever truly loved each other?
19. What is your favorite scene in the book? What scene do you think could have been handled more skillfully?
20. What do you think of the Allied bombing of Germany? Do you think it was just? Should they have stuck to purely military targets or was the policy of breaking the German people’s will to fight a factor in winning the war?
21. Did you know about the German atomic bomb research during the war?
22. Do you think the book conveyed a realistic picture of the Gestapo and their ways?
23. Did this book give you a greater understanding of what the German people faced during the war?
24. Do you think this book would make a good movie? Who would you cast in the main roles?
25. What did you think of the ending to the book? What do you think happens next?
Book Club Questions for White Rose Black Forest
1. What did you think of the title of the book? Did you find that it aroused your curiosity? What did you think of the title after having read the novel?
2. Would you have done what Franka did upon finding the man in the snow?
3. Why do you think Franka did what she did upon finding the man in the snow?
4. How well do you think the novel depicts the paranoid atmosphere of living in Nazi Germany?
5. How far do you think Franka would have gone to protect the man in the snow? Do you think she would have shot the old man who almost came across them on the trail?
6. What do you think John’s plan was when he first discovered himself in the cabin, alone with Franka?
7. Do you think that Berkel and other Nazis like him were inherently bad people, picked out to do the bidding of the party because of their nature, or were they turned bad by the conditioning they underwent in the Hitler Youth and the constant propaganda they were subject to?
8. What do you think of the role of women in Nazi Germany? Were you aware of the subjugation of women under Hitler’s regime?
9. When do you think John begins to truly trust Franka?
10. What did you think of the true story of the White Rose movement? Who did you admire the most?
11. Did Hans go too far with the movement? Should he have stepped back at the end as the Gestapo was closing in?
12. What did you think of Fredi’s story? How would you react if this was done to one of your family members?
13. Would you have joined the Hitler Youth/League of German Girls if you grew up in Germany in the 1930’s? How do you think you would have reacted to the peer pressure of being a teenager in Nazi Germany?
14. Why do you think so many people were seduced by the Nazis? Why were some able to resist?
15. Do you think the Nazis ever truly cared about the German people?
16. Who is your favorite character in the book, why?
17. Why did John join the Marine Corps? Why didn’t he join the Army as an officer as was his station in life?
18. Do you think John and his wife ever truly loved each other?
19. What is your favorite scene in the book? What scene do you think could have been handled more skillfully?
20. What do you think of the Allied bombing of Germany? Do you think it was just? Should they have stuck to purely military targets or was the policy of breaking the German people’s will to fight a factor in winning the war?
21. Did you know about the German atomic bomb research during the war?
22. Do you think the book conveyed a realistic picture of the Gestapo and their ways?
23. Did this book give you a greater understanding of what the German people faced during the war?
24. Do you think this book would make a good movie? Who would you cast in the main roles?
25. What did you think of the ending to the book? What do you think happens next?
More Answered Questions
Rowena S. Lee
asked
Eoin Dempsey:
I have several ancestors from Dublin. My grandmother came over from Ireland when she was twenty. I'm 57% Irish. I am so glad to finally hear from an Irish author. Finding Rebecca was an excellent novel and so well written. I was enthralled with the descriptions of the labor camps. You did a remarkable job of writing about them. Did you do a lot of research before you began writing?
Carol
asked
Eoin Dempsey:
I LOVE your writing; just finished "White Rose, Black Forest." I am eager to read more books by you but, honestly, the world is so full of depressing news that I'm searching for heartwarming novels, preferably with no murders. Your Irish background and wide smile make me think you are well qualified to write one. If you do, I promise to have the book club I'm in read it (or them). What do you say?
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