Introduction

At Windemere School for Girls, one of America’s elite private schools, Dr. Gregory Copeland is the beloved chair of the English Department. A married father with a penchant for romantic poetry—and impressionable teenage girls—he operates in plain sight for years, until one of his former students goes public with allegations of inappropriate conduct. With the help of an investigative journalist, and two additional Windemere alumnae who had relationships with Copeland as students, the unlikely quartet unites to take him down.

Set in modern-day Los Angeles, These Violent Delights is a literary exploration of the unyielding pressures and vulnerabilities that so many women and girls experience, and analyzes the ways in which our institutions and families fail to protect or defend us. A suspenseful and nuanced story told from multiple points of view, the novel examines themes of sexuality, trauma, revenge, and the American myth of liberty and justice for all.

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Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

JANE

APRIL 2016

“What is the point of a high school reunion when you can already see who got fat and bald on Facebook?” asks Caryn, the intern working with me this semester, and I can’t help but laugh because she’s right. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. How did each woman's background make it challenging for her to come forward?

2. What reverberations did Copeland's abuse have on these women?

3. The women in These Violent Delights have bonded not over romances or dating mishaps, but a shared search for justice. Did these unlikely friendships feel authentic to you?

4. How did you feel about Sasha's form of revenge?

5. Jane models leadership and offers support to each of Copeland's victims. What does she get right and wrong while doing so?

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