Haven Books Fiction
Mara Purl's Novels & Stories
New Editions
Closer Than You Think

1. Why do women stay in abusive relationships? Is there an essential difference between an emotionally abusive and a physically abusive relationship? Why did sally get involved with Jack? Why does Stacey stay with Wilhelm?
   
   
2. What do men consider to be the basis of their power? What makes Jack feel powerful? Does he feel he's above the law? Is Joseph calm and centered because of his wealth?
   
   
3. What is the relationship between a small town and county law enforcement agency? Is Del considered an intrusive outsider? Or is he being accepted as a local? To what extent does his race influence public opinion of him?
   
   
4. What is mentoring? Is Samantha a mentor to Miranda? Does she succeed when she tries to mentor her assistant Susan? How does the effort to mentor reflect Samantha's own issues back to her?
   
   
5. What makes some women capable of great friendships with other women? What is the basis for the friendship between Samantha and Miranda? Could Zelda and Cynthia be called friends? Does Sally have friends? If not, why not?
   
   
6. People tend to grow unevenly, with certain aspects of their characters reaching maturity before others. Which aspects of Samantha are mature and which are not? Which aspects of the town of Milford-Haven itself are mature and which are not? How do these mirror one another?
   
   
7. With so many characters' lives interweaving in the town of Milford-Haven, is there a central character? Who would it be? Why?
   
   
8. In the Pro-Growth/ No-Growth controversy in Milford-Haven, who are the spokespersons for each side? What are positive aspects of each stance? What are negative?
   
   
9. In addition to being a writer, Mara Purl is also an actress, and her first involvement with soap opera was as a regular performer on Days Of Our Lives. As an actress, Mara worked from the point of view of her character. As a writer, does Mara drive her novels by plot or by characters?
   
   
10. Why is this book called Closer Than You Think? Does this phrase apply only to Samantha and her search for her missing child? Is the idea carried out in Miranda's and Zack's relationship? How does this apply to Sally? Is this a theme with aspects you can discover elsewhere in the book?