Waterfall Wednesdays: A Read-Along Event for Waterfall (River of Time #1) by Lisa T. Bergren (Chapters 1-6)

Hello everyone! This is my first post for the Waterfall Read-Along which will consist of a series of posts published each week on the blog (preferably on a Wednesday) discussing chapters from the exciting, adventurous and incredibly romantic new Young Adult novel, Waterfall, by the amazing author Lisa T. Bergren. I recently finished this book and I can honestly say that I had a hard time putting it down in between chapters to get on with the pressing demands of daily life. Since there are very few books that have captured my attention so thoroughly, I would highly recommend that you all grab your copies as soon as possible and consider participating in this read-along. Here's my discussion in the read-along:

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Discussion 1- Chapters 1-6

This week's questions hosted by Tinasbookreviews

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Chapters 1-6

1. Waterfall opens with the introduction of Gabi, shes depressed, a little angry and is dealing with feelings of loneliness. Are you connecting with her this soon in the novel? Do you see things you like or dislike?

I could connect with Gabby and her sadness on some level. She’s a young girl who should be roaming Italy , flirting with cute guys and doing the things she loves. Instead, she’s stuck with her mum and sister in the middle of nowhere trying to find centuries-old relics. However, what made me sympathise with her more than anything was the fact that she’d lost her dad and even while he was alive, and more so after his death, her mum was self-absorbed and concerned only with her work. I think it’s just cruel to wake kids up at 5am during their summer holiday to go digging. So, I am sad to say that her mum made a bad first impression on me.

2. Gabi gets to time travel back to 14th Century Italy- The Dark Ages in its prime. Is there anytime in history that fascinates you and would you travel back if you could?

The Middle Ages. I’ve always been fascinated with the Medieval Era in history, having watched too many King Arthur movies and delighting in watching TV series like Merlin. I have always wanted to meet a knight and to witness the customs and social behaviours exhibited at Court. Medieval fairs and feasts would have been something to witness, I expect, with all the jousting, archery and sword-fighting tournaments

3. Most of the men, including Marcello have a very set opinion about a woman's place. Gabi gets manhandled a bit in these first few chapters, and even gets asked if shes a witch. The men are shocked when Gabi rides a horse like a man and shimmies down the castle walls. What do you think of mens mentality back then? Gentlemanly, chauvinistic, simple-minded?

I think for the majority, it may have just been plain simple-mindedness because they were brought up to hold such beliefs about women and they never questioned it, nor were these beliefs objected to by women. However, for some of them it may have been pure chauvinism that drove their behaviour towards women. For men like Marcello and Luca, I cannot help but think that it was a display of gentlemanly behaviour that made them consider it unthinkable that a woman should behave in such an unfeminine manner and to offer a helping hand at every turn. They tended to view women as delicate creatures who were meant to be cherished and protected, a view that many modern-day tough-as-nails career women would object to.

4. When Gabi becomes a part of this era, the people are immediately intrigued but suspicious of her. Many judge her by her difference. Do you think this is fair? Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like an outsider or that others were misjudging you?

Of course, it is not fair that she should be judged by her difference but seeing as how she’s from an entirely different era and that this difference showed in her conduct and speech, they cannot be blamed for being a little scandalised and even suspicious of her. I have occasionally found myself to be the subject of such discrimination due to my difference- in either behaviour, speech or thought- but I have realised that being different is not something to be ashamed of. I would much rather be different than lie to myself and sacrifice who I am and what I believe in, merely to be accepted by people whose opinions shouldn’t matter to me in the first place.

5. What do think the coolest thing would be about living in the Dark Ages? What would be the worst?

The coolest thing would be the lack of noise pollution and a not-so-fast-paced lifestyle. Living in the city, I find myself bombarded by the sounds of daily life- car horns honking, people yelling, TVs blaring, appliances whirring- and all the noise just gets to me at times. I feel that the simplicity of life back then resulted in a much more enriching and rewarding experience of life. People had the time to stop and smell the roses, to savour every moment and not zip through life in an endless state of anxiety due to the constant chaos and upheaval in a modern world.

The worst thing for me would be having to use chamber pots and the lack of a good plumbing system. I would also miss my hair conditioner, because then my already untameable hair would be entirely unmanageable without conditioner. Feminine hygiene products would, I expect, not be available so that would be something of a nightmare.

You can go HERE to read the answers to the read-along by the rest of the blogs participating.