The Lions of Fifth Avenue

With the internet and digital platforms, is there still an argument to be made for the preservation of physical books that fewer and fewer people still read? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

At first, Jack appears to be the ideal husband—loving and supportive of Laura’s ambitions. What changes? What triggers his violent behavior?

Social movements play an important part in the story. How does Fiona Davis incorporate actual history into her story? How does history shape the characters?

Books are a ubiquitous symbol throughout The Lions of Fifth Avenue. What is the symbolic value of Surviving Spinsterhood: The Joys of Living Alone to Sadie? What is the value of The Awakening to Laura?

Laura is a living witness to the first wave of feminism (the suffragette movement). What does she find appealing about it? What holds her back from full participation?

The Lions of Fifth Avenue delves into the lucrative business of rare book theft. What is the value buyers see in these rare manuscripts if not to read them? What value do they have according to Sadie?

Jack’s reaction to Harry’s typhoid and his months of missed classes speaks to the patriarchal view of women’s roles in society. What is his reaction? How does Laura respond to it, and why?

In the novel, how are the past and present connected? How does one inform the other?