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Interesting,
Dramatic

2 reviews

Learning to Swim: A Novel
by Sara J Henry

Published: 2011-02-22
Hardcover : 304 pages
2 members reading this now
5 clubs reading this now
1 member has read this book
Recommended to book clubs by 2 of 2 members
"If I'd blinked, I would have missed it. But I didn't, and I saw something fall from the rear deck of the opposite ferry: a small, wide-eyed human face, in one tiny frozen moment, as it plummeted toward the water."

When she witnesses a small child tumbling from a ferry into Lake ...
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Introduction

"If I'd blinked, I would have missed it. But I didn't, and I saw something fall from the rear deck of the opposite ferry: a small, wide-eyed human face, in one tiny frozen moment, as it plummeted toward the water."

When she witnesses a small child tumbling from a ferry into Lake Champlain, Troy Chance dives in without thinking. Harrowing moments later, she bobs to the surface, pulling a terrified little boy with her. As the ferry disappears into the distance, she begins a bone-chilling swim nearly a mile to shore with a tiny passenger on her back.
     Surprisingly, he speaks only French. He'll acknowledge that his name is Paul; otherwise, he's resolutely mute.
     Troy assumes that Paul's frantic parents will be in touch with the police or the press. But what follows is a shocking and deafening silence. And Troy, a freelance writer, finds herself as fiercely determined to protect Paul as she is to find out what happened to him. What she uncovers will take her into a world of wealth and privilege and heedless self-indulgence--a world in which the murder of a child is not unthinkable. She'll need skill and courage to survive and protect her charge and herself. 
     Sara J. Henry's powerful and compelling Learning to Swim will move and disturb readers right up to its shattering conclusion.

Editorial Review

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Excerpt

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Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. What did you think was thrown off the ferry?
2. If you were Troy, would you have jumped into the lake if you weren’t sure it was a child
thrown off the ferry? Even if you were sure?
3. Would you have held onto Paul or immediately gone to the police? Why or why not?
4. Were you immediately suspicious of Philippe? Who else did you suspect?
5. Would you have risked getting so heavily invested in Paul’s life?
6. Could you have walked away from Philippe?
7. What do you think of Jameson?
8. If you were Troy, would you be more attracted to Philippe or Jameson? Why?
9. When did you begin to suspect Troy was in real danger?
10. If you were confronted in the final scenes as Troy was, would you have been able to
keep calm?
11. Is it more difficult for a woman alone in the world than a man alone in the world?
12. If you were childless, would you be able to resist the chance for a meaningful connection
with a child? Why or why not?
13. Does Troy act out of altruism, common decency, or a unique kind of selfishness?
14. Is there something about Troy’s untethered lifestyle that appeals to you?
15. Where do you think Troy’s life should go from here?

Notes From the Author to the Bookclub

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Member Reviews

Overall rating:
 
 
  "Not Your Formulaic Thriller"by ELIZABETH V. (see profile) 09/19/11

LEARNING TO SWIM by Sarah Henry begins, you guessed it, in the water, Lake Champlain, specifically. Troy (female) jumps into the lake from her ferry boat when she sees what appears to be a c... (read more)

 
  "Great Book!"by Sheilla D. (see profile) 03/17/11

This book grabs you right from the first page and doesn't let you go! I couldn't put it down and finished it in 3 days. It was a very entertaining mystery.

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