2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

The story opens with Mena trapped in an asylum, placed there by her husband. Your impressions of the prologue? What did you learn, if anything, about Mena?

Unimaginable and outrageous circumstances. She was clever and strong spirited.

It was a horrid place. I wasn't surprised that her husband put her there. Mena was a lot stronger than I thought she was in the last book, but everyone has their breaking point and Mena was just about at hers.

It showed how strong Mena was. Those were horrible circumstances. If a person hadn't already lost their mind, that place would ensure that they do.

The doctor knew she wasn't insane, but he sure was trying his best to make her insane to justify keeping her and the money Gordon was paying him. Waterboarding has nothing on the ice bath.

Oh, that ice bath was described so vividly. Things happened to her mind and body that I never imagined. Eye opening scene.

I also learned that Mena was one of those quiet fighters. She didn’t yell and scream but was always using her brain to think ahead and never gave up or backed down.

She figured out early on that yelling and screaming would only get her severely punished. Plotting her escape was what occupied her.

I loved how Mena thought through how she should proceed. That ice bath scene literally made me shiver.

These scenes were difficult to get through.

I was particularly touched by Mena's courage and determination to survive both physically and mentally at all costs.

I was actually in pain imagining what Mena was going through with the ice bath. That would be horrible.