Finding Noel Discussion

I borrowed some of the questions from the Barnes & Noble online bookgroup discussion...there are lots more questions there if you want to check it out and bring another back here.


#1 - In Mark's first encounter with Macy, she says, "We always tell our deepest secrets to strangers." (Pg. 12) Do you agree with her reasoning for this? How does Mark's initial honesty create a foundation for his relationship with Macy? In what ways does this contrast with the other relationships in his life? Why do you think Mark believes people will use his secrets against him?


#2 - In Macy's Christmas poem (pg. 73), she describes the responsibility of Christmas as being "called, to leave our troubled lives of care,/To set aside our burdened minds, with God and man our hearts to share." In what ways is the gift of Christmas also a responsibility? How does Mark step up to the challenge in this novel? In what ways is this a Christmas story?


#3 - How does Tennys's personality contrast with Macy's? What do you think Mark got out of his relationship with Tennys? Mark describes Tennys as a "sure thing." What makes her less of a challenge than Macy? How have Mark's strong emotions for Macy complicated his relationship with her, in addition to validating it? What sort of life do you imagine Mark would have with Tennys?


#4 - Why did Macy react so negatively to Mark's proposal? Was it inappropriate for him to propose after so short a time? Was Macy's anger at Mark's running from his past justified, or was it an easy defense mechanism? How could Macy's past affect her present relationships?


#5 - Adoption is discussed in the book and you see the outcome of Macy's as well as Noel's adoption. Did the story impact your opinions on adoption?  How?  

December 2008: Finding Noel

Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans. Amazon.com gives a brief description of the book:

On the night that Mark Smart has decided will be his last, his car dies in a blizzard. He enters a closing coffee shop and finds Macy Wood, who literally offers him a shoulder to cry on. The two forge a deep friendship, and after three weeks, Mark proposes marriage. She declines, but waitress Joette, who has taken care of Macy since she was 13, orchestrates a reunion as Mark tries to smooth over the rifts dividing what remains of his family. Mark's stepfather's advice—"sometimes it's the fight that makes a thing worth having"—serves as the defining aphorism of Evans's yuletide offering.

You can get the book here on Amazon. It is thirteen dollars and change. You can get it here on ebay. Most are less than ten dollars, and there are a few audio books on it too - in case you don't want to read it.

Be sure to check the side menu too - so you can be watching for the books that are coming up next year.