The Sweetness of Forgetting

What does it mean that Rose’s chapters present a recipe? What connections are there between the specific recipe and the content, plot-wise or thematic, of each of those chapters?

What techniques does Harmel use to portray Paris as a setting?

Respond to the book’s message about the unity of religious belief and the shared God among the Abrahamic religions (a term Elida introduces on Page 252). How does the book develop its philosophy about cooperation and intersections among different religious beliefs?

Conduct further research on Muslim people aiding Jews during WWII and discuss how Harmel uses this lesser-known history in the book. How does Harmel convey this history in a fictional setting?

What argument is made about the fairy-tale kind of love as displayed by Jacob and Rose?

How do these themes of legacy fit with efforts to preserve knowledge about the events of the Holocaust?

Consider the two timelines running through the story: Rose’s history and Hope’s present moment. How do these two narrative strands reflect and depend on one another?

Read another of Harmel’s novels and compare the books in terms of plot, character, theme, or style. What do you see being shared across these books? How are the books different?