Carol Hoenig: Without Grace
Reading Group Guides
January 7, 2009. Queenie D discusses Without Grace with author Carol Hoenig.
Reading Group Guides: Interview with Carol Hoenig
There
is a lot of tragedy in this story. Is it necessary so that Vicky can become the person she is meant to be by the end?
I
think life's events, whether tragic or rewarding, has some affect on all of us; if it doesn't, we're not paying attention. Vicky is a young woman
by the end of the novel and still has much more room to grow, especially since she'll have to continue dealing with the Scoleri family and their
dysfunction.
Reading Group Guides: Interview with Carol Hoenig
Vicky
reminds her father so much of her absent mother that he grows to the point where he can't stand to look at her. How does this affect her decisions
about what to do in life? How are they able to get past this?
I
think basically the answer to those questions can be found in the book. I wouldn't want to reveal how Vicky gets past this since it would give
away too much.
Reading Group Guides: Interview with Carol Hoenig
We
know that Vicky is absolutely gorgeous, although she doesn't seem to know it or care if she does know it. Her looks get her into more trouble
than is normal for a girl her age, specifically with men trying to take advantage of her. Is it because she radiates innocence that many try to
force themselves on her?
I
don't think it's that abnormal for a girl Vicky's age to be taken advantage of, especially since she developed rather quickly, not to mention
beautifully, at a young age. However, her innocence does leave her open to the possibility of getting into some trouble. Juxtaposed with her
friend, Brenda, who is desperate for attention, I think it works well for the storyline.
Reading Group Guides: Interview with Carol Hoenig
The
men in this book are so different from each other and in the end, the one who survives is not the one the reader might root for from the beginning.
How do Vicky's father, grandfather, and brother change the direction of her life?
Each
man brought something very important to her life. Her brother gave her a sense of wanting to right some wrongs, her father unwittingly gave her
the drive to prove she wasn't like the woman who ruined their family, and her grandfather gave her unconditional love and a listening ear.
Reading Group Guides: Interview with Carol Hoenig
Reading Group Guides: Interview with Carol Hoenig
Will
Vicky learn to forgive Grace for walking out on her family?
I
think by book's end, she already had.
Reading Group Guides: Interview with Carol Hoenig
Can
you tell us anything about what you are working on right now?
I'm
juggling so many projects right now. I blog for The Huffington Post, but I'm also working on my memoir titled "Getting Back Home," which is about
how I bought my home back, one I had to sell due to divorce several years earlier. I never thought I'd get it back, but serendipity stepped in
and it happened, even in this difficult economy!
I'm also promoting my second published book The Author's Guide to Planning Book Events. In addition, I'm on the advisory council for the New
York Center for Independent Publishing, as well as being a committee member of their writer's conference. I am also on the advisory council for
Author Solutions. I am a fulltime freelance writer and publishing consultant, which keeps me very busy. I have also toyed with the idea of writing
a prequel to Without Grace. Awhile ago I heard Grace say to me (in my writer's head, that is), "I didn't mean to leave." It occurred to me that
discovering more about Grace may be interesting. So, we'll see, especially since I also have a third novel that I am about 100 pages into that I've
let sit for far too long.
Reading Group Guides: Interview with Carol Hoenig
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