The Witches of Cambridge: A Novel [Paperback]

US

1. Each of the witches of Cambridge has her own unique power: Amandine, the power to palpably feel emotions; Noa, the power to hear secrets; Kat, the ability to turn formulas into spells; Cosima, the ability to bake enchantment into her pastries. Which power would you find most attractive? Why?

2. George spends so much time trying to hide his true feelings from the world—-and especially from Kat. How and why do you think that affects his ability to perform magic? Have you ever realized that by trying to protect yourself, you were isolating yourself?

3. Similarly, Noa has found safety in the number one. Blessed with the ability to hear—-and cursed with the compulsion to tell—-the most secret thoughts of those around her, she’s driven away her loved ones by disclosing their infidelities, desires, and missteps. Do you think Noa has a right to blame herself for her parents’ divorce?

4. Buried secrets can sometimes be more harmful than those brought to light. Do you agree that sometimes, as in George’s case, and Noa’s, the truth can set you free? Is honesty always the best policy?

5. Sisters Kat and Cosima are as different as night and day: Kat is mathematical to a fault, utterly practical, unwilling to use her powers to get what she wants. Cosima is creative, impetuous, and ready to let her heart lead wherever it wants, no matter the cost. Which sister do you identify with more? Is there a happy medium?

6. On the last page of The Witches of Cambridge, Eliot admits to Amandine that he knew all along that she could perform magic but that he trusted her to tell him in time. Consider the magnitude of the secret he kept from Amandine. Is marriage about assuming the best despite the worst? Does love conquer all?

7. After her husband’s death, Héloïse forgot how to use her magic to see the future. Although she eventually finds love again and unburdens herself of the misplaced gulĂ`