1. How does the title of Broken Places reflect the lives of the characters? How have Rachel, Tom, the Taylors, and other characters been “broken” by life? Do you think Tom and Rachel are “stronger at the broken places”?
2. Cameron and Meredith Taylor came to the mountains as Volunteers in Service to America during the War on Poverty. How much do you know about the antipoverty program and its successes and failures? Do you believe idealists like the Taylors can bring about real change in the lives of the poor?
3. Did you understand Cam Taylor’s desperation to save his newspaper? Do you believe he was trying to save it because it benefitted the community or because his own sense of identity was inextricably bound up in the newspaper?
4. How do Tom and Rachel’s personal traits contribute to their misunderstandings over Lindsay and Ben?
5. Do you think the ease of internet research makes it likely that someone will eventually discover Rachel’s secret?
6. How does the summer weather contribute to the mood of the story?
7. Did the full story behind the crimes come as a surprise to you? Did you have a different suspect in mind? Why?
Please feel free to contact the author with any questions or comments your reading group has about the book, or to request bookmarks or signed bookplates.