1. Discuss the impact of societal mores on characters' lives in BEFORE THE STORM.

2. Were you surprised by Elaine's role in the novel?

3. Were you satisfied by the ending of this novel? If not, why not?

4. 'Isabel remembered the last thing Richard had said to her before she had gone into the hotel. 'Do you regret it? he had asked her. She had known he meant their marriage. 'No, not at all,' she had said. It's been an adventure. The biggest adventure of my life.' Could this apply to all relationships? Discuss.

5. How do global events shape the characters' lives in BEFORE THE STORM?

6. Do you think the Finborough family behaved fairly in their treatment of Ruby in the wake of Sara's relationship with Anton?

7. BEFORE THE STORM is largely set in London and Cornwall. How are these places portrayed within the novel?

8. 'Your past is no concern of mine.' Does Richard's behaviour throughout the novel reflect the promise he made Isabel on their wedding day?

9. Virginia Woolf famously wrote an essay called A Room of One's Own. Discuss in the context of Isabel's desire to always have a place of her own?

Further Reading

A STEP IN THE DARK - Judith Lennox
THE ISLAND - Victoria Hislop
THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN - Kate Morton