Underestimating Miss Cecilia - behind the scenes
Discussion Guide
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Which character in this novel do you identify with the most? Why?
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In the novel, Cecilia is faced with a series of challenges. Do you find her story sympathetic? Have you ever had a situation where you have been challenged? Did it cause a personal change?
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What do you consider to be the important themes in this novel? What examples did you find?
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Do you find Ned's story sympathetic? Why / why not?
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If you could give Cecy one piece of advice, what would it be? What advice would you give Ned?
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In what ways do Cecy and Ned change throughout the novel? What do you consider to be the biggest factor(s) in their change?
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While this is a work of fiction, certain historical elements and places are referenced, such as the mention of the Peterloo massacre in Manchester. How did these historical details affect the narrative? Did they help you to feel a sense of time & place?
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What were the most appealing parts of the book?
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Did you enjoy seeing references to other characters? Why / why not?
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What do you think happens next?
< I'm very fortunate to be blessed with some wonderful covers, courtesy of the great design team at Kregel. This cover (ignore the title) was one of the earlier contenders for Miss Cecilia. I think we chose a good one, don't you?
< In order to understand the general feeling about the Peterloo massacre, I referred to several letters written in 1819, protesting the general outrage about the heavy-handed tactics used by soldiers to suppress the men and women demonstrating about unfair representation in parliament. To read a sample of these letters, click here to be taken to the British Library's online resources.
Find more of the images and inspiration at my Pinterest board Underestimating Miss Cecilia
^ Image used from nationalarchives.gov.au
< Image: British Library, creative commons
Did you know it was illegal to talk to gypsies in the 1800s - it was even illegal to dress up as one! - and punishment might involve hanging?! Find out more about this and other Georgian laws in Susannah Fullerton's excellent book 'Jane Austen & Crime' >
