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The Last Rendezvous Reader’s Guide

By Anne Plantagenet

The Last Rendezvous by Anne Plantagenet


Questions and Topics for Discussion



3. We learn that Henri’s name is actually Hyacinthe. Discuss the irony of him being named after a beautiful flower. Why do you suppose Henri allows a simple misunderstanding about the initial (“H”) he uses as his signature to go uncorrected, and chooses to go by an assumed name even with his most intimate relations? Marceline declares, “He goes masked.” In what ways is this so? What masks does Marceline wear?


5. Discuss Marceline’s approach to motherhood. She declares, “No woman is more a mother than I am. I live and breathe for my child.” In what ways does Marceline come across as a devoted mother? What signs do you see of the opposite? How would Marceline’s parenting style be received today?

6. When Marceline was a child, and home life started to unravel, her father continually reinvented himself in order to get by. Marceline tells us that, “accepting no responsibility for our misfortunes, he invented harebrained stories, spun outrageous nonsense.” What lessons does Marceline learn from her father’s coping mechanisms? How does Marceline’s father’s penchant for manufacturing “beautiful lies” eventually graft itself into Marceline’s personal and professional life?



9. Marceline’s mother-in-law is described as suspicious, jealous, and disapproving of Marceline. Her father-in-law is described as a companion who relies on her and appreciates her. In what ways do her in-laws represent Marceline’s conscience? Discuss how the two are outward symbols of Marceline’s inner turmoil.


11. At turns we hear Marceline’s assessment of her own circumstances as having been “abducted,” “sacrificed,” and “in exile.” In what ways does Marceline surrender power over her own life to others? Does she ever fully take responsibility for her actions?

12. It seems that Marceline uses the two pillars of her professional career–theatre and poetry–for distinctly different purposes. Which does she use as a veil, and how? Which art form makes her feel most free, and why? Discuss the role of art in this novel and in your own life. What pleasure and purpose do you derive from the written word versus performance?


14. Marceline has been called “an early feminist.” In what ways is this true? By today’s standards would you consider her more of a feminist or a traditionalist? Discuss how her life and choices may have been different had she lived in modern times.

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