READERS GUIDE

Reader’s Guide
The Dane of My Existence by Jessica Martin
Discussion Questions:


1. Prior to assuming her role as managing partner, Portia is required to take a three-month sabbatical. How would you feel about taking a sabbatical? If you had the opportunity to take one, how would you spend that time?

2. Portia and Ben go toe-to-toe at Peaseblossom’s mini-golf, a quintessential New England mini-golf course. If you could design a themed mini-golf course, what would it be? For the record, this author is pulling hard for a “Classic Literary Scenes” course. Holes would include Dracula’s castle, Moby Dick taking down the Pequod, Daisy’s dock (complete with a green light) and a gorgeously manicured Pemberley.

3. Like Portia, Ben is a tough nut to crack. He’s unapologetically driven and thriving in the savage ecosystem that is the Boston development scene. But he’s able to be vulnerable and authentic with Portia. Terrible taste in music aside, what do you make of him as a leading man?

4. If you’ve read For the Love of the Bard, the first book in this series, you’ll recognize a lot of recurring characters coming back for a second helping of Shakespearean fun. Who were you most excited to see return? Or, if you’re new to Bard’s, who’s your favorite character?

5. Portia, who’s not exactly known for making fast friends, nevertheless forms a bond with the indomitable Emmeline McGandry. What did you make of this intergenerational relationship? Are there any particular hard-fought relationships you’re grateful for in your life?

6. Portia feels like an outsider in her hometown of Bard’s Rest. Despite this, she has continued to help out her hometown from afar. What do you think drives her decision to do so? What is your own relationship to your hometown like? Do you relate to Portia?

7. Let’s talk about dogs, specifically Hamlet. One might say this author uses the plucky pup as a chance for Portia to step into the role of a badass, umbrella-wielding protector. Have you ever gone above and beyond to rescue an animal? (Hint: this would be an excellent time to
steer the conversation to your undying love for your pets and acts of bravery in their name.)

8. Throughout this book, several characters contemplate the concept of pivoting—whether it’s their careers or their relationships with others. What are the risks and rewards of their pivots? Have you ever been in a situation where you had to pivot, and if so, how did your experience compare with the experiences of the characters in the book?

9. Shenanigans abound in Bard’s Rest, sometimes manifesting themselves in the form of farm animals wreaking havoc in the downtown area or covert island break-ins under the cover of darkness. Of the characters Adam, Byron, Candace, Cordelia, Ian and Miranda, who would you want by your side? Defend your answer.

10. On a scale of one to the Cliffs of Despair, how disappointed are you that Bard’s Rest isn’t a real place? If you could add a business or character to this thriving hamlet, what or who would it be? (My favorite reader suggestion so far is “Out Damned Spot Dry Cleaning.”)