Five Quarters of the Orange (Harris)

Discussion Questions
1. Framboise's mother loved all fruit—except for oranges, which gave her migraines. Young Framboise exploited this to her advantage. Discuss Framboise's motivations. Was she cruel, or just acting on the impulses that often drive adolescents to commit cruel acts?

2. How did you feel about the children's involvement with Tomas? Were they morally deficient? Do you think that the author judged the children's actions anywhere in the narrative? Discuss how the presence—or lack—of judgement affected the tone of the novel.

3. How is the title, Five Quarters of the Orange, manifested in the structure of the novel?

4, What do you think Old Mother symbolized? When Framboise finally caught Old Mother, what did she lose?

5. Why do you think Framboise returned to Les Laveuses? Was there a part of her that wanted the truth revealed?

6. "Food was her nostalgia, her celebration, its nurture and preparation the sole outlet for her creativity" (pg 4). Framboise said this about her mother's relationship with food. Discuss the many different roles food plays in Framboise's life.

7. How did you feel about the mixture of love and animosity that Framboise and Mirabelle feel for each other? And what about the relationship between Framboise and her own daughter? What do you think the novel says about mothers and daughters in general?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

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