The Coffins of Little Hope (Hardcover)

By Timothy Schaffert

Unbridled Books, 9781609530402, 262pp.

Publication Date: April 19, 2011

Other Editions of This Title:
Paperback (4/3/2012)
MP3 CD (6/21/2016)
Hardcover, Large Print (2/1/2012)

List Price: 24.95*
* Individual store prices may vary.

May 2011 Indie Next List

“At the heart of this story is narrator Essie Myles, an 83-year-old great-grandmother who has been writing obituaries for her father's small-town newspaper since she was a teenager. Far from morbid, Essie is a born storyteller, and she takes the reader on a wonderful journey into the nuances of a small town and its reaction when a little girl goes missing. Essie recounts the disappearance of the girl and in the process interweaves the stories of her own family and those of the town. Filled with rich characters and written with both charm and wonder, this should be the next book on your nightstand!”
— Julia MacDonald, The Yankee Bookshop, Woodstock, VT
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Conversation Starters from ReadingGroupChoices.com

  1. In this book, families are of varied structures and shapes. How do you think the author defines family? 
  2. Pop culture and youth play a critical role in this novel. How do you think age is treated? 
  3. What would you want said in your obituary? 
  4. For some characters in this book, performing magic tricks is a wonderful diversion and shared activity. How does the theme of magic flow through this book? What's the real magic this book depicts? 
  5. Truth is personal here, and relative. Or is it? 
  6. Part of this story is about another story. How do the two books and plots work together? 
  7. Did the girl disappear? 
  8. What is this book saying about change, both personal and cultural? 
  9. How does this novel portray motherhood? 
  10. Memory and memories are important to this story. How?