From the author of the 2007 Orange Prize finalist A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers comes a wholly original and thoroughly captivating coming-of-age story that follows a bright, impassioned young woman as she rushes headlong into the maelstrom of a rapidly changing Beijing to chase her dreams.

Read rave reviews from The New York Sun, Entertainment Weekly (A-), The Washington Post, and Salon.com. Read an excerpt at WSJ.com.

From the author of the 2007 Orange Prize finalist A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers comes a wholly original and thoroughly captivating coming-of-age story that follows a bright, impassioned young woman as she rushes headlong into the maelstrom of a rapidly changing Beijing to chase her dreams.

1. The novel is divided, as the title suggests, into twenty short chapters with small black and white photographs scattered throughout the text. Why do you think the author chose this structure to relate her heroine’s story? Discuss what you think the purpose of the photographs might be.
2. Fenfang Wang leaves her rural home in hopes of capturing “bright, shiny things” in the big city. How is her journey similar or dissimilar to that of a young American woman who moves from the countryside to the city in hopes of making it big? Do you know people who have followed the same journey? In what ways do you think the cultural differences between China and America impact upon their individual experiences?
3. What is the significance of “ravenous” of the title? How does Fenfang go about satiating those needs?

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Unfolding through the eyes of a perceptive little boy, When We Were Romans showcases the captivating storytelling power of award-winning novelist Matthew Kneale. Narrating a trip you will not soon forget, nine-year-old Lawrence describes the day his mother whisked him and his sister from their home in Britain to Rome. His adventure becomes a poignant path of discovery about his parents, and a quest to understand his place in their hearts. The questions and discussion topics that follow are intended to enhance your reading of Matthew Kneale’s When We Were Romans.

1. How does Lawrence see the difference between men’s roles and women’s roles? How does he cope with feeling like the man of the family (with tremendous responsibility) as well as his mother’s very young son (with little control over his circumstances)?
2. How did your perception of Hannah change throughout the novel? Did you trust her husband?

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For generations in Jerusalem, a fabled mansion has been the retreat for foreign correspondents, diplomats, pilgrims and spies–but until now, few have known the true story of the house that became the American Colony Hotel or its bizarre history of tragedy, religious extremism, emotional blackmail, and peculiar sexual practices.

1. The “Overcomers” are described as “educated, attractive, mostly well-to-do, and some socially prominent.” Did this affect the way they were viewed by others? Have you ever felt more or less judgmental of particular religious adherents based on superficial characteristics (i.e. mainstream Mormons and Jews versus the less-assimilated Fundamentalist Mormons or Hassidic Jews)?
2. The author quotes Alexis de Tocqueville’s observation that Americans of his day were prone to extreme religious practices and beliefs: “Religious insanity is very common in the United States.” Even today, many Europeans look at Americans as beholden to an outdated puritanical ethic. Does de Tocqueville’s statement still apply to Americans today?

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Sophie Dahl read from her new novel Playing with the Grown-ups, and Colson Whitehead read from his forthcomnig novel Sag Harbor, at Housing Works in New York City on April 10, 2008. Photos by Maryanne Ventrice. More photos from the event can be seen at the Doubleday Flickr site.

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages ISBN: 978-0385520744 Pub Date: August 7, 2007 Price: $25.00 (list) Buy now from an online store Expand below for the complete Q&A.

Luke Epplin (Editor): You’re a prize-winning author and a practicing physician. Did you want to be a doctor or a writer growing up? How did you manage to do both careers?

Kevin Patterson: I came to do both fairly accidentally. My twin brother was the one who was destined to be a physician. I was a disengaged metal-headed high school student in the power mechanics career stream, when I came home from school one day and realized that giggling, high, under a car every day was probably not a realizable life ambition. (more…)