Books > Gold of Kings > Reading Group Guide

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

One of the key elements of Gold of Kings is the leather diary that antiques dealer Sean Sorrell bequeaths to his granddaughter, Storm. She values this more than the precious works of art he also leaves her. Have you ever inherited a special item from a relative, and what did that mean to you?

When Storm Sorrell realizes that there is a plot against the family antiques business, she suspects that her aunt is in collusion with criminals seeking to ruin their firm's reputation, then seize the assets. It turns out that she was wrong. Have you ever falsely suspected someone of wrongdoing? Did you consider apologizing?

Gold of Kings threads together two story lines: one is a material quest for a long-lost treasure; the other is a spiritual quest for truths that may similarly lie long buried within us. If you consciously set out on a spiritual quest, what discoveries would you hope to make?

How does greed figure in the story, and what lessons can be gleaned from the ways this vice shapes the characters and their actions?

The treasure that the protagonists in Gold of Kings are seeking is priceless because of both its monetary and its symbolic value. The gold beam from the temple represented "The Vine" -- the tree of Israel -- and onto it returning Jews would graft their own small leaf of gold. That made it a powerful metaphor for continuity and community. Does any such symbol hold a special meaning in your life or religious practice?

Gold of Kings tries to link the past to the present, breathing new life into old legends and instilling a sense of wonder. Have you ever experienced a moment that seemed infused by history, and what difference did that make in your life?

What about her marriage vows? What about sticking through sickness and health, through good times and bad?

When a marriage is in crisis, what are some of the ways to resolve issues rather than to resort to divorce?

Jack caused great pain and suffering to others. How do you feel about those individuals when they have attempted to make amends?

Do you think Jack did all within his power in hoping for and praying for Camille's conversion to faith? Name things he might have done, but didn't.

Once Camille and Jack are reunited, what do you feel their future holds? Will Camille have difficulty assuming the role of a minister's wife?