BOOK CLUB GUIDE What is the significance of the book's title? Does it have more than one meaning? Can it be seen as a metaphor, and if so, of what? What chain of events were set into motion when Marisela decided to find her biological family? How did it open a "Pandora's box?" Eve's boyfriend, Silvio Aguilar comes under special scrutiny in this novel. Do you trust him? Do you think Eve should? Why did you think he was hiding things? What would you have done under the circumstances? The issue of what constitutes a family and what obligations and responsibilities we owe those related to us by blood is a large theme of "Savage Garden." Describe some of the ways in which Hamilton explores this topic. How does Hamilton show the competitive and suspicious nature of the news business? What is at stake for Eve Diamond and for Felice in solving this case? Did you find ambitious Felice to be a sympathetic character? Why or why not? Did you find Eve's behavior toward Felice to be appropriate? Why or why not? "Savage Garden," which unfolds in the theatre world of Los Angeles, takes us deep inside the life of a troubled playwright. Give some examples of how acting and stages and role-playing become metaphors for the action of the book. How did Catarina serve as a muse for Alfonso Reventon's literary works? What drew him to her? The relationship between Catarina Velosi and Alfsonso Reventon was a complicated and troubled one. How did it change over time and how did she continue to exert a powerful hold on him, even after her death? Hollywood producers living behind security gates in Malibu mansions are usually inaccessible to reporters. How do Eve Diamond and Felice Morgan circumvent Barry Mancuso's defenses? What role does the spurned personal assistant play? Can you think of a real-life case where a similar thing has happened? How does the song "Savage Garden" become a clue toward the end of the novel? Give some examples of how race and class and culture clash and come together in "Savage Garden," especially in terms of crime and illicit passion. HOME

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