Secret Wife (Paul) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
These questions have been graciously submitted to LitLovers by Linda from the Page Turners book club. Thank you Linda!

1. This novel begins with a troubled marriage between Kitty and Tom? What was the problem? Why did Kitty flee to Lake Akanabee? Why did she choose this place?

2. What was the importance of the golden oval studded with jewels that Kitty found under the steps of the cabin? How does this object become a focal point of the plot line?

3. Much of this novel is the actual history of the Romanov family of Russia. Describe the family members. What can you conclude (or do you know) about Tsar Nicholas as a ruler of Russia?
Why were the Romanovs so unpopular with so many of the Russian people?

4. Who was Grigori Rasputin? How did he gain such control over the royal family?

5. How did Dmitri Malama meet Tatiana? What does the title of the book, "The Secret Wife," refer to? (You can find photos of Dmitri and Tatiana on the internet.)

6. What interests bonded Dmitri and Tatiana?

7. At what point in the novel did Gill Paul deviate from actual history? What was Dmitri’s plan to rescue Tatiana?

8. What was the fate of the Romanovs and Rasputin? The details of this massacre weren’t totally revealed until 1979. How were the remains authenticated? Where are the remains now?

9. Dmitri flees to Berlin after WWI. Whom did he meet there? Why does he leave Berlin for the United States?

10. Who was Anna Tschaikovsky? How does she fit into this story? Do you remember hearing of surviving Romanovs here in the US?

11. How and where did Dmitri find Tatiana? How did she prove she really was “his secret wife”? What was her new name? How did Tatiana find out Dmitri had also survived the war?

12. Who saved Tatiana from the massacre of her family?

13. What arrangement did Tatiana suggest for their future lives in the US?

14. Why did Dmitri have such a poor relationship with his children? How did that affect Kitty and her life?

15. What role did Hana Markova play in Kitty’s life?

16. How did Tom reach out to Kitty? Do you think he was sincere? What did Tom do that convinced Kitty her marriage might be saved?

17. What would you say is the theme of this novel? What similarities or influences do you see between Dmitri and Kitty?

18. Did you enjoy this novel? Why or why not?

(Please feel free to use these questions, online or off, with attribution to Linda of Page Turners and LitLovers. Thanks.)

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