Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson

Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson (ISBN 978-0-8254-2590-5).

Book Genre: Christian Suspense

Summary: Jobless, homeless, and broke, Camden Bristow decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. But when Camden arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother has passed away, leaving her the 150-year-old mansion on Crescent Hill. The site of her happiest summers as a child, the run-down mansion is now her only refuge. When Camden finds evidence that she may not be the mansion’s only occupant, memories of Grandma Rosalie’s bedtime stories about secret passageways and runaway slaves fuel her imagination. What really happened at Crescent Hill? Who can she turn to for answers in this town full of strangers? And what motivates the handsome local Alex Yates to offer his help? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden uncovers deep family secrets within the mansion’s walls that could change her life – and the entire town – forever.

Swap details: I've set the sign-up date for about a month from now to give folks time to pick up a copy and read it a bit (if you wish) before you decide to join this swap, but you can start reading whenever you'd like. Another reason the sign-up date is a month away is because I have some EXTRA COPIES of this book. Please PM me and we can set up a private swap if you would like. For this swap, you can either hand-write or type and send (via post) the answers to your questions. Please use your best judgment. If it elicits a yes or no, please answer it with at least one complete sentence. I would say most questions should be answered with a minimum of a few sentences. The purpose is to create a dialog, a discussion about the book - with your assigned partner, perhaps you will be in touch via e-mail, or private message or through the forum as part of a larger group, or you just want to see what someone else thinks about what we've read. If you only answer yes or no, it doesn't really leave room much room for a discussion.

Category 1 (answer all 6 of these questions for your partner)

1. Have you ever read this book before? Did this book fall in the usual genre of books you read?

2. As an overall experience, how did you feel about this book? Did you enjoy it, hate it, did it make you irritated, angry, sad, did you find it easy to read or did it take you a while to get into, was it entertaining, annoying or something else entirely?

3. Did you have a favorite part of the book? Describe what it was. If you didn't like the book, please tell more about why.

4. Would you recommend this book to others?

5. On a scale of 1 to 10 (one being low and 10 being high), how would you rate this book?

6. Does this book remind you of others you have read? if so, recommend a book that has some likeness in your opinion (even if the likeness is not apparent). Please include the title, and author and a brief description about the book, or why it reminded you of this one.

Category 2 Please pick 4 of the following questions (below) to answer with the above questions. These questions are taken directly from the book’s reading group guide. Please be honest in your answer and use constructive criticism. You can choose to answer more questions below, but you must choose a minimum of 4. If there is something not asked in the questions that you'd like to share, please feel free to discuss that too.

1. What themes do you see running through the book? Which one resonates most with you? Why?

2. What is more frightening? The known or unknown? The seen or unseen? Why?

3. What is the significance of “home” in this novel? Does Camden’s idea of “home” change at all during the book? What is your idea of “home”?

4. Family history can often be surprising. Have you ever researched your own family history? If so, what did you find?

5. How do you think Camden would have described herself before her job took a turn for the worse? And after? Did she change at all during the story?

6. Which character surprised you the most in this novel? Why?

7. Her grandmother was the only real family Camden had. And yet even that relationship dwindled over time. Why? What things take priority in our lives? Do you ever wish your priorities were different?

8. Memories of her past haunt Camden and color how she sees family and faith. How do our life experiences influence our futures?