They quoted the psalm.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil.
I will dwell in the house of the Lord . . . forever.
Lydia threw her carnation. It danced and swayed as it caressed the surface of the water. "John," she whispered.
Her love for him had survived.
As if in reply, her son, John's son, slipped his arm around her shoulders. And she knew John was holding her, as she was him.
In their hearts . . . forever.
Epilogue
God brings men into deep waters
not to drown them but to cleanse them.
John H. Aughey
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Jesus (John 14:27)
Discussion Questions
Do you think the sinking of Titanic was an act of God or of man? Why?
One intelligent, logical character describes another as a dream, as if that were a failing. Which is of greater importance in the world in which we live? Are they of equal importance?
A character concluded that he must not only avow his love but also show it. Do you find that essential to a relationship? How does one show what he/she avows?
John asked forgiveness for himself and Lydia. He professes to be a Christian. She doesn't. Is she forgiven? Can someone be forgiven for their personal sins if they ask but are not a Christian?
Do you think Lydia's and John's sense of guilt for having been intimate before marriage is because they felt it was against God's commands, against the culture of the day, or because her pregnancy would be a sign of what they'd done? At what point do most people feel guilty? After doing wrong or after being caught?
Could you ever lie to your husband about the fact that you were carrying another man's child? Or, have you ever raised your spouse's illegitimate child? Should you tell that child his true parentage?
How do you feel about Caroline wanting to be ordinary? What does ordinary mean? How does wealth affect who we are? Should it? If we are born to wealth, it does seem to have something to do with making us the person we are. Can/should we try to change that?
How does being involved in a national tragedy change the way a person grieves? Is there comfort in knowing you're not alone in your grief, or is it diluted because you are just one among many?
Have you ever been in a situation where your own grief (or another emotion) made you forget that someone else was suffering too, the way Caroline suddenly realized that Bess was also grieving?
People freezing and dying in the ocean were calling out for God and Jesus to save them. Do you think Jesus would say to them, as he said to the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise"? Would this be like a deathbed conversion, or would it be too late for those who had previously not believed in God and Jesus?
The character, Craven Dowd, is an enigma. Do you think he is a believer in the Christian faith or not? Why or why not?
Culture gave the characters the status of first-, second-, and third-class passengers. Did the surviving characters in Hearts That Survive change their personal definition of class? How does today's culture define the status of people? How do you define a person's worth?
Bess had her own unique definition of friendship. What is yours? What should determine who we choose as a friend? Is friendship conditional?
When one of the characters is dying, he is described as one moment being plunged into painful darkness. The next instant he is in the presence of serene light. Do you believe that is the experience of death? What do you think the moment of death is like?
How do you feel about Lydia keeping secrets? Can we judge if she was right or wrong? Why?
Alan says he can't live up to JoAnna's standards. JoAnna replies, "Neither can I." What does she mean by that?
In 1912 men were expected to die for their wives, to give up their lives for the women and children. Do you think the same concept is alive and well today? Would men still abide by the "women and children first" unwritten rule? Would it be selfish for a woman to want men to sacrifice their lives for them?
Are we any safer with our feet on the ground than in a ship on the sea? Do you think people would change their way of living if they really thought they were subject to disaster at any time?
Can you identify with any of the characters? In what way are you most like one of the characters? most different?
Were the survivors of Titanic saved by chance or was it God-ordained? If you were one of few survivors of a tragedy such as the Titanic sinking would you think it was chance, coincidence, luck, or God-ordained?
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Donn Taylor, who wrote the poem John composed for Lydia in the novel, is a poet who holds a PhD in Renaissance literature and has more than twenty years' experience teaching poetry. His poetry has appeared in Christianity and Literature, The Lamp-Post (Journal of the California C. S. Lewis Society), and other journals, as well as general audience publications such as the Presbyterian Record(Canada). His poetry collection, Dust and Diamond: Poems of Earth and Beyond, was published in 2008. Donn is also a novelist, and his fiction includes the suspense-filled The Lazarus File and a lighthearted mystery, Rhapsody in Red. He has also published essays on writing, literary criticism, ethical issues, and U. S. foreign policy. In a prior incarnation, he served in two wars with the U. S. Army.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Book Informations
Copyright
Acknowledgment
Table of contents
Part 1 : Before
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Part 2 : During
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Part 3 : After
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
&nbs
p; Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Epilogue
Discussion Questions
Back Cover