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You are here: Home / Features / Selective Collective: Wentworth Hall Book Club Discussion

Selective Collective: Wentworth Hall Book Club Discussion

January 9, 2013 by Sandie 9 Comments

Selective Collective
Sorry we’ve been so radio silent the past week. Diana and I spent more than 10 days together at our Christmas family reunion and then we each had separate wedding-related events to attend, so we haven’t been around to update the blog. It’s been the New Year already for a week (how did that happen?!), and we’re celebrating our inaugural Selective Collective book of 2013. For January’s first Selective Collective, we read “Wentworth Hall,” a guilty pleasure pick for those who love soapy period dramas, “Downton Abbey,” or upstairs/downstairs romances. Here is a discussion guide for anyone who wants to read the novel together as a book club. Many thanks to Simon & Schuster  for sending us all copies of the book to review.


Wentworth Hall

Eighteen-year-old Maggie Darlington has turned into an entirely different person. The once spirited teen is now passive and reserved. A change Lord and Lady Darlington can’t help but be grateful for.

It’s 1912, and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just the extensive grounds to maintain. As one of Britain’s most elite families, they need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been…even as their carefully constructed faÇade rapidly comes undone.

Maggie has a secret. And she’s not the only one…the handsome groom Michael, the beautiful new French nanny Therese, the Darlingtons’ teenage houseguests Teddy and Jessica, and even Maggie’s younger sister Lila are all hiding something. Passion, betrayal, heartache, and whispered declarations of love take place under the Darlingtons’ massive roof. And one of these secrets has the power to ruin the Darlingtons forever.

When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, everyone is looking over their shoulder, worrying their scandal will be next. Because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long. (Publisher’s summary)

Selective Collective Round Table:

1. Why are “upstairs/downstairs” style stories still so compelling to read? Can you think of contemporary stories that also explore class issues/romance well? 
I think “upstairs/downstairs” stories are so interesting, because it’s a romance divided by class and society’s view of what is and isn’t appropriate. It’s a romance that was never meant to be much less to work out. Already the two characters are fighting the odds to stay together because society (and almost definitely their parents as well) would never approve of such a relationship. I actually think “Pushing the Limits” by Katie McGarry has a little bit of that feel – Echo was the popular girl (although her incident put her in a situation of her own) and Noah was always looked down on because of how he acted and the fact that he was now an orphan that had to live in a foster home. When the two first got together, it was scandalous because Echo’s friends couldn’t believe she would date someone like Noah because of his bad reputation, and we as the readers were kind of in the same boat but at the same time, rooting for the couple who had to fight the odds to stay together. It’s the reader’s job (and the author’s) to view society as wrong and also to root for the two characters that are working hard to make their relationship work. —Brittany
2. Do you think this book’s plotline is helped by the current “Downton Abbey” craze? Did those of you who have seen that series find yourselves comparing the characters with those in “Downton”? 
“Downton” has become a huge cultural phenomenon, spawning countless fan pages, viewing parties, even a “Saturday Night Live” spoof, so it’s no surprise that this book would clearly benefit from the current popularity of the BBC/PBS series. There are some obvious similarities (beyond the time and place), like the forbidden romance between a young Lady and one of the servants (like Lady Sybil and Tom the chauffeur), the various scandalous secrets, and the younger sister (Edith on the show, Lila in the book) who lives in her glamorous older sister’s shadow and otherwise seems invisible. In addition, the descriptions of the clothes, dances, fox hunts, etc. will seem familiar to anyone interested in that era. — Teen Lit Rocks
3.  How did the various scandals affect the characters? Would comparable scandals “ruin” upper-crust people the same way? What kinds of scandals still are completely socially unacceptable?
The scandals that affect the Darlingtons are 1) Lady Darlington having a child at an advanced age; 2) the Darlington children’s friendliness with the servants; 3) Wentworth Hall falling apart; 4) the apparent dwindling of the coffers. The Darlingtons are part of the elite society of England and are expected to behave a certain way.  Anything that deviates from the societal norm would ruin their reputation and might cause the children to not marry favorably, which would mean in this case, someone whose social standing is below their own.  What that means is that they may not get the infusion of money the Darlingtons so desperately need to keep their home in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed. Or even just in livable conditions. The “scandals” that the Darlingtons are subjected to, their dirty laundry being aired in the public eye, honestly, I don’t think they really had negative effects other than embarrassment (it was a local paper, let’s not forget, not something someone from society would have access to). Lord Darlington isn’t a businessman, so it wouldn’t effect him in that way. It may have made the Fitzhughs less likely to want to become allied with them, especially since the Fitzhughs are new to England and are looking for an “in” into society.  Another scandal that could have affected the Darlingtons is Maggie and her siblings friendships with the servants.  There is a definite invisible wall that should separate the haves from the have nots and never the twain shall meet.  It would be especially scandalous if there was any indication that there was something more than friendship going on.  These days, I don’t think it’s as much of an issue (not that I would be privy to the bizarre rules of the upper-crust) between titled folk and commoners, but between titled and the servant class, it is probably still unlikely and scandalous.  What scandals would be unacceptable now?  I think getting caught stealing money (not the actual act of stealing money, but the getting caught), adultery is still unacceptable, particularly if it is with a much younger person.  Homosexuality is still considered scandalous, despite our strides towards equality and tolerance. Any kind of sexual deviancy or unusual sexual appetite would be scandalous. Drugs is still taboo, for the most part.  The problem with “scandals” these days is the whole concept of “all publicity is good publicity” in which anything that is consumed by the public puts one in the public eye, which can lead to all sorts of fame and/or fortune.  We’re just not as scandalized today as we have been in the past, but we’re also hungry to learn of any sort of behavior that we could point to and say, “I’m better than that.”  We thrive on scandal as a society because it is the great equalizer. —Daphne
4. Which characters do you wish we knew more about? What do you think happens with the “downstairs” characters whose futures at Wentworth Hall were up in the air?
I would have liked more back story on the romance between Maggie and Michael. There seemed to be a genuine love there and while, I assume future books will either tell more of their future or hint at it in some way, I wonder how they went from childhood friends to love.  And then I would have liked to watched the drama unfold for them as Maggie left and Michael had no clue as to the true reason why.  I also would have liked to see where Therese ended up.  We know something big happens to her at the end of the novel, but it is in no way the end of her story; it’s a new beginning. —Tee
 
5. With society’s obsession with the “trashy” secrets and scandals of celebrities and prominent people, do you think that indiscretions even matter? Do they change how you feel about public figures?
I think indiscretions absolutely matter, even today with all the trashy secrets and goings on we see every day on tv and in the news. I truly believe a lot of the indiscretions happen merely for publicity so society perceives it to be okay. But in reality, or real life, these indiscretions are detrimental to families and our society. They create financial issues, can lead depression, and an increase in numerous other problems. I don’t think my impression of public figures changes when we hear about their indiscretions, but I think that’s because I feel so many public figures aren’t the types of role models we should idolize or base our actions and ethics on. —Candice

 


Tee @ YA Crush | Author Interview: Abby Grahame


Candice @ The Grown-Up YA | Wentworth Hall Style


Brittany @ The Book Addict’s Guide | Casting Call


Daphne & Kristina @ Gone Pecan | Review: Wentworth Hall


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Filed Under: Features, Selective Collective, Top Features Tagged With: selective collective

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Comments

  1. Brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says

    January 9, 2013 at 2:58 pm

    Very thoughtful questions!! I always love reading everyone’s answers.. So much fun to see how we all react differently!

    Reply
    • SandieSandie says

      January 9, 2013 at 9:44 pm

      I agree. It’s one of my favorite parts of reading these books together.

      Reply
  2. Tee @ YA Crush says

    January 9, 2013 at 3:51 pm

    These are great questions!

    Reply
    • SandieSandie says

      January 9, 2013 at 9:43 pm

      It’s always fascinating to see everyone’s different perspectives.

      Reply
  3. Daphne says

    January 9, 2013 at 9:36 pm

    very insightful questions. you made me work hard. most work I’ve done in months 🙂

    Reply
    • SandieSandie says

      January 9, 2013 at 9:43 pm

      Ha! I loved your answer, and I appreciate you taking it so seriously. You definitely didn’t phone it in 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Selective Collective: Wentworth Hall « Gone Pecan says:
    January 9, 2013 at 12:08 pm

    […] Roudtable Discussion: Wentworth Hall – Sandie & Diana @ Teen Lit Rocks […]

    Reply
  2. The Selective Collective features Wentworth Hall – Casting Call | The Book Addict's Guide says:
    January 9, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    […] Round Table: Book Club Discussion […]

    Reply
  3. The Selective Collective: Wentworth Hall Author Interview and Giveaway « YA Crush says:
    January 9, 2013 at 3:53 pm

    […] Teen Lit Rocks- Roundtable Discussion […]

    Reply

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