The Secret Life of Sunflowers

Why did Violet choose to keep the family’s connection to van Gogh a secret? Would Emsley’s life have been different had she grown up having this information?

Paris and New York City are both key settings for the novel. Conduct some research into the visual art scenes in both places during the respective time periods of the novel. What forms of art were popular in each city, and why? How did each city lend itself to fostering art?

Johanna’s portions of the novel reference several of van Gogh’s paintings. Examine images of these online. Which themes seem to be common throughout his work? How does the novel reflect these themes?

What does the novel’s title mean? Whom or what might it reference?

Though Trey, near the end of the novel, changes his mind and wishes to rekindle his relationship with Emsley, she refuses. Choose one of Johanna’s suitors and compare or contrast him with Trey.

In what way is family legacy important to both Emsley’s family and Johanna and Theo’s family? How does loyalty to family influence all three characters?

In the Epilogue, Emsley offers to reveal to her mother what Emsley has learned of her grandfather’s identity. Emsley’s mother says she will consider whether she wants to know this information, but the author never reveals her decision. If you were in her shoes, would you wish to know the truth? Why or why not?

The novel references Vincent van Gogh’s friendships and professional relationships with other artists, including Claude Monet and Paul Gaugin. The narrative suggests that, unlike van Gogh, these artists enjoyed professional success during their lifetimes. Examine pieces by either of these artists painted in the 1880s and 1890s in order to propose why their works were better received than van Gogh’s.