Attention Book Lovers, Spy Thriller Fans, and Historical Fiction Addicts! You just finished The Serpent Bearer. Now you can’t wait to unpack the moral choices, history, and shocking reveals. You’re in luck!
Our new Serpent Bearer discussion guide is the ultimate reader engagement toolkit, filled with book club questions for a meet up you won’t forget. Below, you’ll find prompts that explore:
- Character arcs
- Espionage ethics
- The romance thread
- Jane’s research notes the real-life events that inspired the WWII setting.
- A curated playlist capturing the novel’s murky suspense.
- Author Q&A info for an AMA with Jane herself.
Ready to dissect the fog of war? Let’s dive in!
Questions that spark conversation
The difference between a good book club and a great one is the quality of the questions you ask. A good book club discussion stays on topic, but is a breezy, social chat full of general likes/dislikes, plot summary, and basic character opinions.
A great discussion goes beyond the “like/dislike” chatter to analyze the why and how, connect the text to personal experience, and spark respectful debate with textual evidence (close reading). This creates a shared learning experience where discussion flows organically and deeper understanding crystalizes.
Below are some thought-provoking Serpent Bearer questions to challenge your group, discover hidden meaning, and debate the moral complexity of the story.
The Three-Part Journey:
Start by defining the shift between the opener → mid-book → finale. Were the denouement and payoff satisfying? Was the pacing balanced, or did the tension build unevenly?
Themes:
The Serpent Bearer explores powerful themes like truth, sacrifice, and the cost of secrecy. Which one resonated with you the most? How do secrecy and intimacy intersect? When does self-preservation blur into betrayal?
Ethical espionage:
Sun-tzu once said “All warfare is based on deception.” But where is the line between strategic necessity and moral compromise?
In The Serpent Bearer, characters constantly wrestle with impossible choices — lying to allies, sacrificing innocents, betraying lovers for a mission. Does the fog of war erase accountability, or does it reveal who we truly are? Can any act of espionage be “ethical,” or do spies simply operate in a moral gray zone where rules don’t apply?
Characters:
Did you agree or disagree with the main character’s decisions? Were there any characters whose actions were unforgivable? Did any character change under pressure?
Favorite Lines:
What were some of your favorite lines? Share a quote that was particularly haunting, profound, or surprising.
Historical Rabbit Holes:
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade, COI, haciendas in the Yucatan — what narrative detail or character sent you on a research bender? Share a fascinating fact you learned about the story and WWII.
Host toolkit
Nuanced, emotionally complex material can lead to deep discussions — and hours of debate. To set the perfect mood and stay on track, use our guide below or contact Jane for a discussion printable PDF.
Step One: Stick to a tight 90-minute agenda.
- 15 min: Socializing, appetizers, and spoiler-free initial reactions.
- 60 min: Structured discussion using the questions above.
- 15 min: Wrap-up and planning the next title.
Step Two: Add Some Extras for Super-Fans
Set the mood with a curated music list. Think suspenseful orchestral scores mixed with 1940s big band standards to transport your guests into a shadowy, slow-burn WWII setting. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- As Time Goes By (Herman Hupfeld): The quintessential WWII romantic standard, heavily featured in Casablanca.
- In the Mood (Glenn Miller): A standard 1940s Big Band for authentic period ambiance.
- Adagio for Strings (Samuel Barber): Perfect for setting a tone of tragic beauty and deep emotional weight.
- Lili Marlene (Marlene Dietrich/Lale Andersen): A haunting, iconic vocal track popular on all sides of the conflict.
- The Street With No Name from The Third Man soundtrack (Anton Karas): While slightly post-WWII (1949), the prominent use of the zither heightens noir and suspense.
Step three: menu ideas (era-inspired)
Food in the US during WWII was heavily rationed, with staples like sugar, meat, and canned goods restricted to support the troops. Families and communities grew Victory Gardens, cooked meatless meals, and innovated recipes using substitutes like beans, eggs, cheese, and potatoes.
To create a book club menu, try easy cheese boards and crusty bread or a simple wartime dessert like apple crumble. (Don’t forget to use ration-friendly ingredients to keep it authentic!)
For more ambitious meals, try one of these classic 1940s’ dishes:
- Deviled Eggs: A staple of wartime picnics and potlucks, deviled eggs were easy, filling, and made with simple ingredients.
- Ration Sandwiches: These tiny, crustless sandwiches were made with simple fillings like peanut butter and bacon, cream cheese and olive, or baked beans.
- Wartime Meatloaf/Betty Crocker’s Emergency Steak: During the war, it was common to mix small amounts of meat with breadcrumbs, oats, or crackers to make mock meatloaf, which was served with gravy.
- Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast: Chipped beef was common in both civilian kitchens and military mess halls.
- Victory Garden Vegetable Soup: This seasonal soup used whatever vegetables were available from home gardens — often cabbage, carrots, onions, and potatoes.
The ultimate book club upgrade
Whether you host a low-key monthly meetup or an in-depth literary group, our guide is a blueprint for an unforgettable book club night. Your guests will leave buzzing with ideas that keep the conversation going for weeks.
Need a little extra spark? Invite Jane to join your book club! Fill out her contact form, or connect through her social media channels, and get her latest author visit info and availability.