Savannah from Savannah
by Denise Hildreth
List Price: $14.99
Pages: 14.99
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0849944554
Publisher: WestBow Press
Though first place in a fiction contest guarantees that Savannah Phillip's novel will be published, she soon discovers that her mother --- Savannah, Georgia's most charming if diva-like citizen --- is behind her literary win. So, mortified and furious, she resolves to give up her dreams of literary fame and moves home to prove herself to her mother, her city, and herself.
Following in the footsteps of her career hero, a columnist for The Savannah Chronicle, Savannah gets a job at the paper and sets out to turn the journalism world on its ears.
Her very first assignment is a quest for truth, investigating what appears to be a rigged beauty pageant. Readers will journey with Savannah as she forges new dreams, uncovers the heartache of loss, and comes to terms with her unique calling.
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1. In the first paragraph of the book, Savannah says that she returned to Savannah because she "had something to prove." What did she want to prove? Who was she really trying to prove it to – her mother or herself?
2. When Savannah sees her mother's name on the contest envelope, she immediately jumps to the conclusion that her mother somehow rigged the contest. Was her conclusion well founded? How might her life have been different if she had sought the facts before assuming she knew the answers?
3. Savannah is the epitome of many girls fresh out of college – on a mission to discover how she can leave a mark on the world. What lessons does she learn as she begins this process? What lessons did you learn when you set out on your own personal mission?
4. Savannah tells Amber: "Let me tell you: I believe that inside each of us is a hole that only one thing will ever fill. You can try to measure out its space and search the world over, but you won't find it there. It's an eternal purpose, and only eternity can fill what it created. No tiara or applause or walk down the runway with Lawrence Welk's bubbles will fill what heaven created in you. Every pageant judge this side of Dallas might declare you a perfect ten, but until you realize that's not true victory, you will never be happy. It's time to look up, Amber. It's the only place eternal things are found." What answer does the world give women who are looking to fill the empty hole inside themselves? What advantages to you see to Savannah's answer?
5. Armed with the lessons she has learned by the end of the novel, do you think Savannah would make the same decisions she did in the beginning over again? For example, would she still decide to turn down the publishing contract if she knew her mother didn't rig the contest and she did know the experiences she'd have if she returned to Savannah? Is experience always the best teacher?
6. In both Savannah from Savannah and Savannah comes Undone, Savannah has several experiences that force her to examine who she is and who she wants to become. Can you recall any experiences you had when you were coming of age?
7. Victoria has to come to terms with her incessant need for control. Controlling the city, controlling her family, controlling life. How do you deal with those elements of life you feel you need to control when controlling is impossible? How do you deal with life when it seems out of control?
8. The meaning of a charachter's name comes up several times in this novel. Do you think our names have more meaning than we realize?
9. There is a powerful message Savannah learns that life is about "being" and not just about "doing." How have you learned that lesson in your own life?
10. What makes it hard to "be" instead of "do?"
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