Shadow of Descent Discussion Topics

Theme:

  • SOD has one underlining theme:
    •  The Tobin family finding each other and then creating a life with each other while fighting against evil forces.
  • The secondary theme is how three vulnerable young women fight for their survival.
    • The three different, yet connected stories detail how these young women made a decision to fight back.

Symbolism:

  • The eyeball that appeared in the large Birdseye maple doors when they were closed.
  • Anthony Holmes never fit behind his uncle’s desk.
  • The dancing shadows of the Live Oak trees as Melanna decided her future.
  • The reader doesn’t learn Sophie’s name until Armando spots her and yells for her attention.  That was the point in Sophie’s life when she was finally alive to her family.  Until that time “the girl” was trapped in a nightmare.

Foreshadowing:

  • The first chapter is filled with themes that will be seen throughout the book:
    • Max protecting Anna from the approaching bike tour.
    • The vagrant in the park scavenging for food.
    • The sunlight peeking from through the clouds.
  • In Chapter 28: Armando walked away from Max and Anna in the beer-garden to find Sophie, “They watched Armando walk away, back into the swamp.” There were more bad things in store for Armando.

Nuerobic elements: something to challenge the mind:  SHADOW of DESCENT is meant to challenge, or offer the reader some thought-provoking topics.

  • A higher presence influenced the Tobin children.
    • In Chapter 1: The light broke through the clouds to guide Cynthia Tobin.  “A gap opened again in the blanket of clouds. Once again she enjoyed the sun’s warm rays on her face.  Then, like a light switch flipping off, her world went black.” 
    • In Chapter 4:  When Anna walked down the stairs from the plane onto the tarmac of Huatulco’s airport, the light appeared again.  “She stopped at the bottom of the steps and tilted her head back to accept Mexico’s warm afternoon sun. She held that pose for a moment as if being touched from above by the sun’s rays.”  Was that her Mother guiding her to a new life?
    • In Chapter 6:  Allen Woods struggled to find the answer to his ailing company: “Then, probably from reminiscing about the good old days, from out of the blue, as though touched by an unexplained force, the answer came to him.” The answer that came to him started him on a path to get the Tobin family together.
    • In Chapter A when Sophie was in imminent danger hiding under her bed, the reader was asked:  “Does anyone know where the love of God goes when a child feels this kind of peril?”  That question is central to all beliefs:  How could something so good allow horrible things to happen to innocent people?
    • In Chapter 25 when Max said to Anna, “Maybe there really is someone up there looking out for us, after all.”

 

  • Three young women who were alone in this world decided to fight against a seemingly unbeatable evil that was forced on them.
    • Chapter E with Sophie, Chapter HH with Lara, and Chapter III with Milaana the darkness/shadow/evil surrounded them.  Yet, it was exactly at that time the girls make the decision to fight back against that evil.
    • Chapter E with Sophie: “They told me I was alone. They told me I had no father and that my mother was a crack whore. They told me I would end up on the streets like my mother. I won’t let that happen. This is just another test, another challenge. I’ll manage this. A few days are all I need.”
    • Chapter JJ with Lara:  “With that last thought, something snapped. Everyone has a limit, a final straw. What snapped wasn’t Lara’s will. It was the exact opposite. She had had enough. She figured that half the girls were sitting in waste and knew she wasn’t far behind. I’m not going to live my life like this. I refuse to serve those animals.”
    • Chapter III with Milaana: Shadows were created from the moonlight that streamed through the Live Oak trees.  After the breeze rustled the branches, the shadows came to life.  This dance of the shadows was meant to signify the struggle of good vs. evil.  Milaana had to make a choice: stay with her evil father or help the innocent Tobin family.  As she contemplated her decision, the evil of the shadows fought with the good of the soft moonlight.
    • “The long shadows that were created from the bright moon seemed to come alive as I contemplated my options. After a few minutes, it all became clear to me. There is only one way out of this. I don’t have a choice—I start tomorrow.”

 

Character discussion questions:

  • Does Reed Jackson deserve forgiveness?
  • Does Allen Woods deserve forgiveness?  If the Woods character had been a woman, would there be a story?
  • Will Sophie ever really recover?
  • Should Milaana get a pass to keep her past a secret?
  • Who was the strongest character?
  • The caddy, Tom Riley saw something was off with Max.  He made a decision to counsel Max for no reason other than gut instinct.  That advice saved Allen Woods and possibly Max Tobin.  Is it a good idea to intercede in other people’s lives when we see a need?
  • Was Jackson’s interruption of the biker’s evil plans for Melaana happenstance?