by Jodi Picoult
Q: Tell us a little bit about your writing process. Do you map out the entire plot before you begin writing, or do things develop as you go along? How do you combat writer’s block?
A: I often know what’s going to happen in a book before I start it—especially one like Salem Falls, where there’s a big surprise at the end. I have to leave clues throughout the book so that when you read that last page, you can go back and say to yourself, “Oh, of COURSE!” However, in the process of writing a book, every single time, I surprise myself in some way. In Salem Falls, it was the history between Addie and Charlie—I truly didn’t know about that until I began to type their final conversation in the book.
I usually start with a germ of an idea (like rewriting The Crucible). Then I push the envelope, until I feel like I have a story I can work with—and then I figure out how much I don’t know. That’s the point when I do research, either by meeting with experts and learning first-hand, or reading or combing the Internet. When I feel that I can write my characters with authority, I decide who will narrate the story. And I don’t let myself start writing until I have a killer first line.
It usually takes me nine months to write a novel, from start to finish of first draft. Sometimes I spend more time doing research; sometimes I spend more time writing. It depends on the book. However, I work steadily—and I don’t believe in writer’s block. I spent too many years carving writing time out of my children’s nap schedule to believe that one needs to be inspired to get work done. Certainly, there are some days my writing flows better than others, but even if I’m particularly unmotivated, I sit myself down and work . . . because the next day, no matter how bad it is, I’ll have something to edit.
Q: Do you have a project on the horizon?
A: I have finished a novel that will be published in 2003, Second Glance—a ghost story that explores science and the supernatural, coincidence and destiny, and a really shocking era of Vermont history that very few people know about (pretty intrigued, aren’t you!?!). It was great fun to research and write, and I’m looking forward to its publication. And—since I’m apparently unable to understand the concept of “down time”—I’ve written nearly 150 pages of the novel that will be published in 2004, too.
READING GROUP GUIDE FOR SALEM FALLS
1) Throughout the novel, the author uses quotes from Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and from the story of Jack and Jill. How do these quotes increase your understanding of the story as a whole? In what ways do these seemingly disparate sources work in terms of the subject matter?
2) After pretending to be sick from school, Gillian explains to her friends, “I am not faking; I’m method-acting.” Method acting is often described as a tool for telling the truth of a character under imaginary circumstances. How might this definition help us better understand Gillian’s actions and her motivations in this novel? What is the truth in her life that needs to be shared?
3) The tension between truth and fiction is a major theme here. Similarly, the concept of believing in lies so strongly that they become truth also powers this narrative. To what extent do you think Gillian and the other girls actually believe their own lies? Does this change for any of them by the end?
4) Throughout history, witches have been the victims of persecution. Recently, witchcraft and pagan religions have gotten a lot of attention both in the media and in popular culture. What drives our fascination with witches and witchcraft? Why do you think some people seem to find it so threatening?
5) In the same vein, what is so attractive about witchcraft to the girls of Salem Falls, either in the stereotypical sense or in the realistic sense? Or to any girls, for that matter?
6) Do you know any people who practice Wicca? If so, how authentic is the author’s presentation of the religion? To what extent is this book about spirituality/religion, and its abuse?
7) In Salem Falls, much is made of the individual characters’ point of view. People seem to see what they need to see in order to keep their world in order. In what way are characters in this novel affected, either positively or negatively, by the lenses through which they see the world?
8) What is the significance of Jack’s role as a history teacher? How about his vast knowledge of trivia?
9) By the end of the story, the majority of the residents of Salem Falls prove themselves to be rather suspicious, closed-minded people, yet somehow Addie is not this way. This is interesting in light of the personal tragedies she has endured through her life—many of which would make most people distrustful or bitter. What is it about her personality or her experiences that allows her to take Jack in off the street?
10) Delilah tells Jack early in the novel, “I think that all of us have our ghosts.” Although she may be literally addressing Addie’s situation, how does this concept apply to the other characters in Salem Falls? Which ones, if any, successfully exorcise their ghosts?
11) Who do you consider to be the strongest character in this story? Discuss the different ways strength manifests itself in this novel and the various degrees to which the characters maintain their strength—or fail to.
12) How much does setting affect this novel? How similar is the world of Salem Falls to the world of The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter, books from which the author clearly draws?
13) At one point, as he is watching his students walk to the locker room, Jack thinks to himself, “Beauty is truth, and truth, beauty.” Do you agree with this? What do you think the novel suggests?
14) Do you believe that Jack, in light of all his experiences, should be totally free from blame? Are there instances when his judgment seems to be off, or is he truly the unluckiest man in the world?
15) Jack’s mother forgives the prostitute that her late husband was seeing, so much so that she invites her to live with her, yet she immediately turns on her own son when he is accused of rape. How can one account for this shift in her character? Is it a shift? Were you surprised that she did not ask for his side of the story, or do you think there is some sort of solidarity among women that transcends familial ties?
16) Picoult tells the story of Jack’s life backward, to the moment of his birth. How do these flashbacks affect the present-day story, and why do you think she chose to do this?
17) Should a verbal accusation of rape be enough to set the judicial wheels turning? Explain, using the examples of both Catherine Marsh and Addie Peabody.
18) Compare the father/daughter relationships of Addie and Roy, Gillian and Amos, Charlie and Meg, Matt Houlihan and Molly, and Catherine and Reverend Marsh. How does the bond formed between parent and child influence each of their actions?
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2001 by Jodi Picoult
Originally published in hardcover in 2001 by Pocket Books
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
First Washington Square Press trade paperback edition August 2002
ATRIA BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7434-1871-3
ISBN-10: 0-7434-1871-9
ISBN: 978-0-7434-2279-6 (eBook)
About Jodi Picoult
JODI PICOULT is the author of twenty novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Lone Wolf, Sing You Home, House Rules, Handle with Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. Visit her website at www.jodipicoult.com.
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Also by Jodi Picoult
Between the Lines
Lone Wolf
Sing You Home
House Rules
Handle with Care
Nineteen Minutes
The Tenth Circle
Vanishing Acts
My Sister’s Keeper
Second Glance
Perfect Match
Salem Falls
Plain Truth
Keeping Faith
The Pact
Mercy
Picture Perfect
Harvesting the Heart
Songs of the Humpback Whale
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