1. Beyond entertainment, what can historical fiction teach us about the lessons of the past that is less well accomplished by straight history?

2. In what ways is Clara the victim of this story?

3. In what ways is Henry the victim?

4. Do you think Clara's story would have been different if her father had lived longer?

5. How difficult (legally and psychologically) might it have been for Clara to file for divorce?

6. Would the children really have been sacrificed during such a process, as Clara feared?

7. Why do you think Clara did not accompany Henry home after the assassination?

8. How does Thomas Mallon make the historical atmosphere of this novel convincing?

9. With each major event in Henry's life, his character appears to change. What qualities of his character, from the beginning, may have portended his final outcome?