by Caroline Day
see. me, plain
rain-drop which
light eschews and
passes through. i am
not like you. clear, am i
a mere bystander to you
extraordinary drop of light,
rain on whom sun alights, who
causes it to pause and to deflect
this is divergence – the spectacular
emergence of colours as light comes
through and bounces askew from the
dispersive prism of your mirror mind
refracting into red indigo and blue
… and you – you do not see that
you are bright in the sky, you
do not know that you are
extraordinary too,
indigo, blue.
Reading Group Questions
1. What is the significance of the novel’s title? What do you think Hope learns in this book, and what did you learn from it?
2. In what ways is the novel a coming-of-age story?
3. How does the novel explore friendship? How does it explore family?
4. What is the significance of names in this novel?
5. What did you like about the writing style?
6. To what extent is Hope an unreliable narrator? Have you read any other novels with unreliable narrators, and what did you think of this new take on narrative perspective?
7. What do you think of the central relationships in this book? How does Hope move from relying solely on her mum to also relying on her friends?
8. Had you heard of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders before reading this novel?
9. Have you read any other books with neuroatypical narrators?
10. Who was your favourite minor character and why?
11. This book covers many difficult topics, including that of depression and suicide. Did Hope’s first person narrative help make it more personal for you? Have you read any other novels that have made you think about mental health in a new way?
12. How does writing become therapeutic for Hope?
13. How are the elements and devices of novel-writing that Hope learns – dialogue, conflict, upping the stakes, narrative arc, and even ‘show, don’t tell’ – reflected within the novel itself?
14. The visiting editor, Patsy Blake, asks Hope what her book is really about, and adds that she thinks it’s about identity and belonging. What do you think the book Hope is writing, and indeed this novel, are really about?
15. If you could set six ‘golden rules’ for everyone to live by, what would they be?
First published in the UK in 2021 by Zaffre
This ebook edition published in 2021 by
ZAFFRE
An imprint of Bonnier Books UK
80–81 Wimpole St, London W1G 9RE
Owned by Bonnier Books
Sveavägen 56, Stockholm, Sweden
Copyright © Caroline Day, 2021
Jacket design by Anna Morrison
Author photograph © Jonathan Chabala
The moral right of Caroline Day to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-83877-273-4
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-83877-271-0
This ebook was produced by Palimpsest Book Production Ltd, Falkirk, Stirlingshire
Zaffre is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK
www.bonnierbooks.co.uk