Orphan #8, Kim van Alkemade

Orphan #8

By Kim van Alkemade

(Tansley Reads Rating: 70%)

 

Icebreaker

 

How did/do you pick what horse/creature you ride on a carousel?

 

Questions

 

1.  How would things have been different if Rachel & Sam’s father had not run away?

 

2.  Rachel is unable to recognize and accept love when it’s offered to her. How has this impacted the course of her life?

                     

3.  Were any of Dr. Solomon’s self-justifications for her research and experimentation valid? (Pg. 278)

 

4.  In what ways did the Orphaned Hebrews Home benefit the children who grew up there?

 

5.  Sam leaves Rachel with Uncle Max.  Why do you think Sam keeps leaving his sister behind?

 

6.  Rachel lies, cheats, steals and physically assaults other people.  What, if any, are her redeeming qualities?

                     

7.  Why does the author keep the identity of Rachel’s partner secret from the reader for so long?

 

8.  What did Rachel’s lesbianism contribute to the story?

 

9. At the end of the story (Pg. 364), when Naomi gets home, we find out that Rachel has been wearing the wig made of Amelia’s hair, when apparently, she hasn’t been wearing it for years.  Why do you think she started to wear the old wig again?

 

10.   Why do you think Rachel cut off a lock of her hair to give to Horace the janitor? (Pg. 276)

                     

11.  How do you think Naomi will react when Rachel tells her about the cancer and her upcoming surgery?

 

12.  What events, if any, could have been left out of the story and still let it have been a good read?

 

 14:  Quick round: What did you think of the book? Is there anything you want to discuss that we missed?