M E Roche
THE NURSE - DETECTIVE MYSTERIES
Book Club Questions for The Ghost of Gresham Green
1. Nora Brady is a student nurse. This time she is doing her pediatric rotation and has the opportunity to do a semester abroad at Gresham Green, a children's hospital in Dublin, Ireland. She has traveled with her friend, Tina Kunz, who will be doing her semester at a rehabilitation hospital outside Dublin. As you were reading, could you see the hospitals in Dublin? What, if anything, seemed different to you?
2. Nora became friends with two sisters, Ailish and Maire, who were also students at the hospital. Would you believe the story they were telling Nora? Should Nora have started her own investigation? Why? Or why not?
3. Do you believe in ghosts? If so, what did you think of Lady Margaret? If not, why not?
4. Have you ever been in a house or building with a secret room? Did you think this was at all possible?
5. Did you have a favorite character? Why?
6. How about your least favorite character? Why?
7. In the novel, you meet Patrick Lynch and his family. Then you meet Ailish and Maire Maguire’s family. What differences did you see between the families? Were you surprised to see Detective Maguire turn up in Dublin?
8. Once again, Nora finds herself in some dangerous situations. Did you think she could have avoided these, or does she just have bad luck? But good luck in the end?
9. At any point, were you surprised by a character? And what was the most memorable or shocking twist in the story?
10. Were you satisfied with the ending? Did it make sense and tie up all the loose ends? If you weren’t satisfied, what left you hanging?
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BROWN RAISIN TEA BREAD
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This recipe came from my friend Mai Donnelly Palmer, a fellow nurse with whom I worked when I first went to Dublin—in a hospital where there reportedly was a ghost or two! She and her husband, Don, introduced me to hosteling and from that to several others who became very close friends. The recipe is something I only bake for St. Patrick’s Day as I could easily eat the entire thing if I made it more often. It is made both with and for eating with tea, and it’s best when it’s warm and smothered in butter. You can see that the recipe card has been well used!
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RECIPE:
9 inch loaf pan 325-degree oven
1 + ¼ cup sugar (best with brown sugar) 1 cup dried fruit (best with raisins)
1 cup cold tea
1 egg
2 + ½ cup self-rising flour *
1 cup nuts of choice (optional)
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Soak fruit and sugar in tea overnight. Next day, mix in flour and egg and nuts. Pour into a greased and floured (or sugared) loaf pan and bake in center of oven for approximately 1.5 hours. Test center with knife to make certain it is baked through.
Enjoy!
