Guides for Fruitful Reading
Guides for Fruitful Reading help readers dive into specific books by A. K. Frailey to consider them from a deeper level, inside minds and hearts. A Reader’s Guide to the Inside Story asks questions without a right or wrong answer. The author hopes that the poetry in Hope’s Embrace and the story in the sci-fi novel, Last of Her Kind, prompt honest reflection. Feel free to download the study guides and coloring pages. Every book is a unique experience since every reader brings their personal lives to the page. A Book is written once, but it may live a million lives.
Secondary Reflections1 Which poem sticks with you? What part of it resonated or clashed with you personally? Was there an image that you could picture better than any other? Why might that be?
2 Poems are not like stories with a beginning, middle, and end. They often leap into an emotional touch point and explore in a non-linear manner. Does the poetical style free you or make you uncomfortable? Is that response reflected in your life habits? How does unstructured events or tasks make you feel? Why is that?
3 Does any poem feel familiar? What is the personal connection?
4 Did any of the poems help you see life from a new perspective? In what way?
5 Can a poem be written about anything? Could a short poem about a small, seemingly inconsequential object be as meaningful as a poem about grander, human passions?
Adult/Book Clubs1 Which poem(s) did I react to emotionally? Why? What feelings did they stir up? What associations came to mind?
2 Poems don’t have typical plot points with a beginning and ending, but they often take a reader someplace important, perhaps to remember something forgotten from childhood. Did you return to anywhere familiar while reading the poems?
3 Poems are much like dreams in their odd connectivity. Did any dreams come to mind as you read the poems?
4 We can be surprised by what annoys us. Was there anything in the poetry collection that irritated you? Does poetry itself make you feel uncomfortable? Why is that? Some people think poetry is a waste of time because it doesn’t “achieve” any particular goal. But poetry peers into human emotional depths. Does self-reflection have value even when it is an ongoing exploration?
5 Were there any details that jumped out? Settings? Scents, tactile experiences, images, sounds? Do I naturally resonate with these things or are they missing pieces in my life that I long to fill, perhaps with the time and peace of mind to notice them in the real world?
Journal Reflection QuestionsWhy did I have to read particular sections over again?Are they poorly written?Beautifully written?Are they telling me something I need to hear?Or reminding me of something I’ve forgotten?Are they frightening me? Why?Consider strong emotional reactions to a particular poem.Am I reminded of a repressed grief?Do I need to work on processing something?How can I best work through these emotions when I put the book aside?Do I feel less lonely because certain poems felt familiar, as if I were not the only person in the world to think or feel a certain way?Who are the people in my life who show me real compassion?Do I ever feel empathy for others?Are there any qualities revealed in a poem that I wish I had?Do I find a certain poem dislikable or repugnant?What am I being reminded of in my life?Have these disagreeable feelings been repressed or managed well?Is a poem a safe place to face such feelings?How do I respond to the God references?Who is God to me?What do I really believe when no one is watching?Can I own my beliefs? Share them with someone?Like a dream, poems highlight our unconscious hidden selves and allow us to face our inner complexities.Hopes Embrace Coloring Page PDF
Science Fiction Literary Drama Last of Her Kind
1 The premise of the story stands on the theme of human fertility as a gift, a gift that could be taken away. What do you think about this concept? Is fertility a gift given by a higher power, or is it a naturally endowed right? Or something else?
2 The character of Anne goes through many changes throughout the story. The alien character of Cerulean notices that she has changed since the last time he saw her, ten years previously. What kind of changes stood out to you? Were there other characters who changed as dramatically? Do you think of yourself as having changed through your lifetime, or are you much the same person throughout the stages of your life so far?
3 The Luxonian world is suffering through its own fertility crisis. Is it reasonable that an alien world could experience similar emotional responses to humans? What do you believe about the possibility of advanced alien life existing, and how similar might they be to humans?
4 Dr. Mitchel and Dr. Peterson manage a challenging relationship. What is the crux of their difficulty? How do they appear to make their relationship work? When Dr. Peterson fails, what role does Dr. Mitchel play in his life? Have you ever been a support person to someone who has failed you?
5 The story has many ending passages and several new beginnings. Were there any endings or beginnings that felt familiar to you? What elements made them familiar? Are there some impactful endings you have had to face in your life? Do endings sometime pave the way to a new beginning that couldn’t happen any other way?
Adult/Book Clubs
1 Anne’s relationship with her husband becomes strained to the breaking point. Is it his or her fault? Was there any way they could have saved their marriage? Did the world crisis cause the breakup, or might it have happened anyway?
2 Anne’s relationship with her mother develops when her mother reveals her own weakness and is honest about unanswered questions. Yet Anne’s relationship with her husband’s parents never really grows despite their mutual concern for the baby growing inside Anne. Why is that? What is fundamentally different or dysfunctional about Anne’s relationship with her in-laws?
3 Anne’s relationships with her sister, her sister-in-law, and her daughter change dramatically through the story. How are these relationships altered by personal choices vs the crisis environment?
4 Cerulean admits that he loves Anne, yet is it understood that Anne loves Cerulean in the same way? Their relationship never becomes sexual, which can make their relationship feel incomplete. Does the lack of a sexual aspect in the relationship stand as a barrier between Cerulean and Anne’s intimate love?
5 The story has many endings and several new beginnings. What are some of the endings and beginnings that meant something to you? Are there some impactful endings you have had to face in your life? Do endings sometimes pave the way to something better, a new beginning that couldn’t happen any other way?
Paperback/Journal Reflections
What do I believe about aliens? Are they possible? Would they likely be intelligent?What might an alien race think about humanity? Would their judgment have any value?How do I feel about human fertility as it is presented in the story?Is human reproduction a personal right or a gift to all of humanity?What character do I most identify with? Why?What conflict stirred the most emotion in me? Why?Who did I dislike in the story? Does he or she remind me of anyone in my real life?Anne stayed on Earth out of a sense of loyalty? Was she expressing sacrificial love, or was she fooling herself?What does Cerulean’s love for Anne remind you of? Is such love possible?Have you ever wished you could leave Earth to live on an alien world? How might that world seem?After all the endings, there is a new beginning at the end of the story? Where do you hope it will lead?Do you have any endings in your life that need to happen to make way for a new beginning?The most powerful part of reading a good book is not encountering something new but discovering our true selves.Last of Her Kind Coloring Page PDF
For a complete list of books by A. K. Frailey, book trailers, links, and reviews, check out A. K. Frailey’s Books Page For translated versions of A. K. Frailey’s Books, check out A. K. Frailey’s Translated Books
“I loved every word of this charming poem…You have created an enchanting landscape and your words have illustrated it expertly with panache…” ~Diana
“People I can relate to and actually care about have become few and far between. These characters were so real. I love that.”
~SandraPhoto https://pixabay.com/photos/books-read-garden-sun-bride-apple-1757734/
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