Has anyone been to the Mojave dessert or Death Valley?
How did you find the short chapters in the book?
What were some memorable humorous moments in the novel?
On page 1, the narrator’s friend texts her this philosophical quote from Kierkegaard: “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” How does this idea resonate throughout the rest of the book? How can we as humans embrace that philosophy?
What is the narrator’s relationship with her father like? Consider the quote: “It is easier to have an intimate relationship with the unconscious than the conscious, the dead than the living. As my father slumbered, I created a fantasy version of him --- resurrecting the man from my youth” (page 4). How does this fantasy of her father come to play a role in the novel?
What does the giant cactus represent to the narrator?
- asylum for both her greatest wishes and everything she was attempting to escape.
- sometimes the peace of solitude can reveal horrors
What are some of the coping mechanisms the narrator uses to deal with her father's convalescence?
Why do you think the author chose to not reveal the narrators name?
What do you think is the difference between empathy and compassion? Which is harder to achieve?
empathy-when we experience the same thing or feel what another person is feeling. We need to pur ourselves in their shoes to relate. Compassion you don't need to put yourself in their shoes in order to have sympathy.
On page 59 the narrator says "realization: love is not always a feeling, sometimes its a verb." What does the narrator mean by that?
In chapter 18, Jethra brings up the five love languages when talking about her own father’s passing. What is your love language?
On page 56 the narrators says “Being human, always new things to forgive”. Where do we see forgiveness in the novel?
Have you ever found yourself in a dangerous situation because you underprepared? How did you handle it?
At one point while lost, our narrator remarks: “It dawns on me then that I must really want to live. And it surprises me” (page 162). How does a brush with her own mortality influence her outlook on life?
What was your impression of the narrator’s novel-in-progress? Why do you think she is stuck figuring out the “desert section”? Does her own time in the desert lead to some sort of epiphany?
Throughout DEATH VALLEY, the protagonist longs to feel less alone and talks to receptionists, anonymous Reddit users and even rocks. What does she get out of these interactions? Why is it sometimes easier to talk to strangers than the people we love? Do you think the talking rocks are an example of magical realism or a fabrication of our lonely narrator’s imagination?
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