Suggested questions...

1. In what ways does the War shape the book? Are the guns of the Somme merely background noise, or central? How much would the story change if set in, say, 1910, or 1920?



2. Russell and Holmes, though similar in many ways, differ profoundly in others. How does Russell’s gender influence her outlook and actions? How does her interest in theology reflect and affect those differences?



3. What does the book’s subtitle mean, beyond a reference to Holmes’ book on Beekeeping?



4. There’s a considerable age difference between Holmes and Russell. How would it affect your attitude toward their relationship in this book if you knew they later married? How would it affect your attitude if you knew they did not marry?



5. Is it fair for a writer to make use of another writer’s creation? Does it make a difference if the later work is a straight pastiche (that is, a story with the same characters setting, etc as the original) or if it merely incorporates the earlier work in a different story (as with Beekeeper, whose main character is Mary Russell, not Holmes)?