An unforgettable story of courage and romance. Will Valancy Stirling ever escape her strict family and find true love?
Valancy Stirling is 29, unmarried, and has never been in love. Living with her overbearing mother and meddlesome aunt, she finds her only consolation in the "forbidden" books of John Foster and her daydreams of the Blue Castle--a place where all her dreams come true and she can be who she truly wants to be. After getting shocking news from the doctor, she rebels against her family and discovers a surprising new world, full of love and adventures far beyond her most secret dreams.
Image and text from Goodreads.
Zoom information will be provided closer to the planned meeting: 12:00pm-1:00pm, June 25th, 2025.
1. What do you think of the character of Valancy at the beginning of the novel? Is she sympathetic or likeable?
2. Valancy is inspired to change her life after reading the following passage from a John Foster book: "Fear is the original sin. Almost all of the evil in the world has its origin in the fact that some one is afraid of something. It is a cold slimy serpent coiling about you. It is horrible to live with fear; and it is of all things degrading." Do you agree that fear is the "original sin"?
3. L. M. Montgomery is known for creating strong, memorable female characters with rich inner lives: Anne Shirley, Emily Starr, Valancy Stirling, and many others. Do you feel Montgomery is as successful in creating male characters? What do you think of Barney as the love interest in this novel?
4. The natural world has always played an important part in Montgomery's writing. In The Blue Castle, the nature books by John Foster feature prominently. What role does nature play in Valancy's transformation? Do you feel the passages about nature are integral to the story or are they a distraction?
5. What are your thoughts on the ending? Is the happily ever after believable? Does it matter?
