Virgin Blue

Summary from the Publisher...

Meet Ella Turner and Isabelle du Moulin -- two women born centuries apart, yet tied together by a haunting family legacy. When Ella and her husband move to a small town in France, Ella hopes to brush up on her French, qualify to practice as a midwife, and start working on a family of her own. Village life turns out to be less idyllic than she expected, however, and a strange series of events propels her on a quest to uncover her family's French ancestry. As the novel unfolds -- alternating between Ella's story and that of Isabelle du Moulin four hundred years earlier -- a common thread emerges that pulls the lives of the two women together in a most mysterious way. Part detective story, part historical fiction, The Virgin Blue is a novel of passion and intrigue that compels readers to the very last page.

Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the commonalities between Isabelle and Ella. Do you feel that they mirror each other?
2. Compare Isabelle's 16th century France to Ella's modern day France. Are there any similarities? Differences?
3. Do you think Ella is harsh on Rick for his inability to understand her? Do you think she is justified in her behavior?
4. Does your opinion of Jean Paul fluctuate throughout the novel?
5. How Ella's goal of getting pregnant interrupted? What does the interruption say about her feeling toward Rick?
6. How do the locals in France receive Ella? Does Rick have the same experience? Would Ella have known what the locals were saying about her without Jean Paul telling her?
7. Describe Ella's relationship with her cousin Jacob like? How do he and his wife help Ella feel "at home"?
8. Discuss the significance of Ella's hair gradually turning red. Discuss her reaction. What is Rick's reaction?
9. Who do you consider to be the heroine of this novel?
10. What was your reaction to Ella finding Marie? What was your reaction to Ella showing Sylvie Marie's bones?
11. Why does Ella get psoriasis? What does it represent? How does it make her feel about herself? How does Rick react to it?
12. Hannah's last audible words are "we are safe". Why does she stop speaking?
13. How does Ella know that the baby she conceived is Rick's and not Jean Paul's? Do you think she'd rather be pregnant with Jean Paul's baby?
14. Why does Ella steal Jean Paul's blue shirt? How does this link them metaphorically?
15. Discuss Rick's reaction to Ella's affair with Jean Paul.
16. Overall, do you consider this to be Ella's story or Isabelle's story?

Links

Virgin Blue

This is the publisher's website for the book. Here you'll find discussion questions, an interview with the author and other information concerning the book.

Tracy Chevalier: The Virgin Blue

This is the author's own website for her book. It is full of wonderful information. Here you can read about the author's inspiration for the story, check out background information used in the book's creation, read reviews, and much more!

Tracy Chevalier's Official Website

Find out more about the author and her work as well as what she's up to right now.

B&N.com's Meet the Writers

Learn more about Tracy Chevalier's life and writings. You can also listen to an actual interview with her.