Reading Group Guide: Night Bird Calling
You’re invited to join my virtual book club! If you love reading historical fiction, enjoy talking about it with friends, and if you’re on Instagram, then this is the place for you. My pick for February is Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke.
Note…Amazon affiliate links may be used throughout this post. If you click on a link and buy a book, I receive a small portion of the proceeds at no additional cost to you. Thank you! For full disclosure, click HERE
Here’s how our book club works:
We will use a private message group on Instagram to communicate.
We will read one book per month (at your own pace).
We will have one discussion group per month.
I will provide reading guides/discussion questions for each new book.
There will sometimes be free book-related treats available for download.
I will provide weekly (non-spoiler) historical trivia related to the book, as well as conversation prompts in our IG group.
To join, click HERE, and let me know you’re in. Make sure you let me know your IG name. I will add you to our group!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Night Bird Calling is one of those types of books that will stay with you long after you reach the end. This beautifully told story takes place in a little town in North Carolina in the 1940s. At times, it's very intense, as it deals with heavy topics such as abuse, racism, spiritual legalism, and poverty. The story felt realistic to me, and at times, frustrating-- but that's because it's about problems that aren't easily solved. That said, I loved the ending. I appreciated the complex characters and the surprising twists. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.
BACK COVER
From award-winning author Cathy Gohlke, whose novels have been called “haunting” (Library Journal on Saving Amelie) and “page-turning” (Francine Rivers on Secrets She Kept), comes a historical fiction story of courage and transformation set in rural Appalachia on the eve of WWII.
When Lilliana Swope’s beloved mother dies, Lilliana gathers her last ounce of courage and flees her abusive husband for the home of her only living relative in the foothills of No Creek, North Carolina. Though Hyacinth Belvidere hasn’t seen Lilliana since she was five, she offers her cherished great-niece a safe harbor. Their joyful reunion inspires plans to revive Aunt Hyacinth’s estate and open a public library where everyone is welcome, no matter the color of their skin.
Slowly Lilliana finds revival and friendship in No Creek―with precocious eleven-year-old Celia Percy, with kindhearted Reverend Jesse Willard, and with Ruby Lynne Wishon, a young woman whose secrets could destroy both them and the town. When the plans for the library also incite the wrath of the Klan, the dangers of Lilliana’s past and present threaten to topple her before she’s learned to stand.
With war brewing for the nation and for her newfound community, Lilliana must overcome a hard truth voiced by her young friend Celia: Wishing comes easy. Change don’t.
Night Bird Calling, by Cathy Gohlke
Publication date: January 5, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Tyndale
ASIN: 978-1496429728
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(from the back of the book)
Lilliana ran away after learning of her husband and father’s plans to have her committed. Given the time and viewpoints of the police and church community, do you think she had any other choices? What might those options have been?
Celia often leapt into situations without realizing the full repercussions of her actions. List some of those situations. Did they ultimately lead to good changes or transformations? Did you find yourself cheering for her, admiring her innocence? Or growing frustrated with her lack of fear?
Lilliana unexpectedly found herself enmeshed in situations of abuse and racial injustice in No Creek. Why did she choose to take on these battles? Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation, where you felt convicted to get involved in a domestic, workplace, political, community, race, school, or church situation that appeared oppressive or off-kilter?
Mood Board
I hope you’ll join us for book club! We’ve got a great group going already, and new members are always welcome. This month’s selection is a book that I’m excited to discuss. You can purchase a paperback or digital download of Night Bird Calling Here
To join, click HERE, and let me know you’re in. Make sure you tell me your IG name. I will add you to our group!
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