The Carousel

Reading Group GuideRichard Paul Evans, bestselling author of the beloved classicThe Christmas BoxandThe Looking Glass,writes the final chapter in the love story that began withThe Locket,returning to the unfinished story of Faye Murrow and Michael Keddington in a tale that will delight and inspire readers everywhere.1. What is the significance ofThe Carouseldream that opens the novel? What doesThe Carouselrepresent? When Faye's horse comes around and is riderless, Michael, frantic about her disappearance, asks the carnival man whether he will see her again. "I suppose that's up to you," he answers. How are we to interpret this exchange?2.The Carouselis the third and final novel in the series that begins withThe Locketand continues withThe Looking Glass.Which of the three novels is your favorite? Which did you like least? Why? How are the three books connected stylistically and thematically? Each book stands on its own, but in what ways does each one take on a deeper meaning if you have read all three? Does the order in which you read the novels matter? To you? To the author's intentions? If you should happen to read the last book in a trilogy first, do you ever find yourself going back to read all three books in the sequence the author intended? Why do you think it might be profitable to do so?3. InThe LocketMichael, having learned valuable lessons about love and second chances through his friendship with nursing home patient Esther Huish, is able to surmount his insecurities and heal the rift between him and Faye. Yet, when another serious rift separates the lovers inThe Carousel,Michael again allows his hurt feelings to fester. How does your knowledge of what happened in the first book affect how you respond to Michael and to the optimistic ending in the final novel? Are Faye and Michael doomed to keep failing to reach out to each other every time a crisis comes up in their lives? Do you think a reader is likely to interpret the ending ofThe Carouseldifferently having readThe Locket?4. InThe Carousel,Michael writes in his diary of his love for Faye: "I have found home." Discuss the concept of love as the feeling of home. Michael also writes in his diary: "I'm no longer certain where I leave off and where she begins." Some people share Michael's view of romantic love as two beings becoming one, but many others reject that notion and see love as strengthening two individuals to grow into their own best selves. Which view of romantic love is more appealing to you? Why?5. The characters inThe Carouselface many modern problems related to birth control, adolescent depression and suicide, and the psychological effects of miscarriage. Why do you think author Richard Paul Evans has chosen to set the story in the year 1989, before many of these issues became widely discussed in the public forum? Would Michael and Faye have acted differently coping with pregnancy, miscarriage and Jayne's suicide in today's more open and informed atmosphere? Would their difficulties be any easier to solve?6. After Jayne's suicide, Michael berates himself for keeping her confidence and not revealing their conversation to Faye. Should he have betrayed Jayne's confidence, or was he right to honor her wishes? Were those the only choices he had? Could he, or should he, have done more to reach out to her himself? How do you think the author expects us to feel about Michael's failure to act? Is Michael right to feel guilty or was it only natural for him to attribute Jayne's unhappiness to normal adolescent confusion?7. When Faye expresses her ambivalence about their secret marriage and her pregnancy, Michael is too hurt and angry to see things from Faye's perspective. Why are these two people who love each other unable to reach out and give one another the comfort and reassurance they need? After Faye misRichard Paul Evans is the author of 'The Carousel', published 2000 under ISBN 9780743200905 and ISBN 074320090X.