to a discussion guide for Sisters of Shiloh

by
Kathy and Becky Hepinstall
A DISCUSSION GUIDE
Introduction
W
hen Libby Beale’s husband and longtime love, Arden, goes missing during the
Civil War, she cannot be dissuaded from setting out on a desperate mission to find
him. Her sister Josephine, determined to protect her sister at all costs, chooses to accompany her. Posing as men, the two join the Confederate army and are soon confronted
with the horrors of the battleground as members of the Stonewall Brigade. After Libby’s
husband is discovered by Josephine moments before his death, Libby refuses to return
home and instead vows to avenge the love she has lost by killing one Yankee for each
year of her husband’s life. As Libby descends further and further into madness, believing
herself to be visited by the ghost of her husband, Josephine finds herself growing close to
a charming fellow soldier with a unique perspective on the war. When Josephine gives in
to the urge to reveal her identity rather than let her love go unrequited, she realizes that
she is faced with another impossible choice: run away with her first love and begin a new
life or stay by Libby’s side and honor the bonds of sisterhood.
Sisters of Shiloh offers an unconventional look at one of America’s greatest tragedies and
illuminates that which binds us together and that which drives us apart. In the single story
of two women driven by love is a deep and complex dialogue about love and sacrifice,
the devastating and far-reaching effects of war, and the powerful strength of sisterhood.
A DISCUSSION GUIDE
Questions and Discussion Points
1. In the opening chapter of the novel, whom does Libby wait to meet in the woods?
What does this character ask of her? What does the character say about Libby’s sister Josephine? Does Libby believe him or her?
2.
Why does Josephine decide to accompany her sister Libby in joining the Confederate army? Do the two sisters share the same views about the war, or do their opinions about
the war vary? Why do you think this is so? What seems to have shaped the views of each
of the women? Discuss.
3. What does Josephine indicate that she resents about Arden the most? What does she
believe Arden took away from her sister? Do you agree with her? Why or why not? How
did Arden feel about Josephine? What may have caused Arden to resent Josephine?
4. Evaluate the use of Les Misérables in the novel. How do the soldiers respond to the story
of Les Misérables? Why do you think this is? What might this suggest about storytelling
and literature?
5. Analyze the book’s treatment of war. Does the book focus more on the reasons for the
war or the effects of war? Where do we see this in the novel? Why do you think the
authors may have made this choice?
6.
Why does Libby decide that she must avenge her husband’s death? Is she successful in
her mission? Does she seem to achieve any catharsis or healing via this plan? What
other examples of vengeful acts are found in the novel, and what do the characters feel
they are avenging? What does the novel ultimately suggest about the notion of revenge?
7. How does Josephine respond to the Yankee buried at their family’s residence? What
does she learn about her father’s treatment of this soldier?
8. How does Eleanor react when she discovers Wesley and Josephine on her property?
How does she feel about the Confederacy? Are her views surprising? Why or why not?
A DISCUSSION GUIDE
9. How does Libby’s relationship with Arden compare to Josephine’s relationship with
Wesley? What do the two relationships seem to have in common? How are the
women changed by love? Are the changes mostly positive? Explain.
10.Evaluate the theme of sisterhood/brotherhood and sorority/fraternity. How are these
terms defined within the novel? What unites “sisters” and “brothers” and causes them
to feel loyalty to, or affinity for, one another? Alternatively, what causes division among
people in the book? What might this suggest about the war?
11.Explore the motif of nostalgia. What examples of nostalgia are found in the book? Who experiences it, what do they seem to be nostalgic for, and what causes them to
be nostalgic? What insight does this give us into the characters? For example, how
does the motif of nostalgia help to reveal what the characters value most?
12.Evaluate the setting of the book. Why do you think that the authors chose to include
so many descriptions of the beauty of nature in the novel? How does the contrast
created by these scenes contribute to a dialogue about war and human nature?
13.Which of the characters support the war and which oppose it? How are those who are
against the war treated? Are they allowed to protest or to voice their opinions? Who is
perceived as a traitor by other characters in the novel, and why? Who considers him self or herself to be a traitor, and whom or what does this character believe is betrayed?
14.Evaluate the theme of honor. Which of the characters act honorably? What motivates
them to act in this way? Does the novel ultimately indicate what is honorable or how
honor should be defined or redefined?
15.As the story nears its conclusion, why does Josephine believe she “had been put on
this earth” (page 228)? How does this belief shape or determine the important decision
she makes shortly thereafter? Do you believe that she made a good choice or the right
choice? Why or why not?
A DISCUSSION GUIDE
16.How does Josephine’s view of Arden change by the story’s end and what causes her
change of perspective? What does her view seem to suggest about human nature?
17.Compare Sisters of Shiloh to other contemporary works of Civil War literature. What
does this novel have in common with these other works? What themes seem to recur
among the works? Whose point of view are the stories told from? What would you say
sets the Hepinstall sisters’ novel apart from these other works?
About the Authors
Kathy and Becky Hepinstall are sisters. They grew up in Texas. Kathy is the author of
the best-selling The House of Gentle Men, The Absence of Nectar, Prince of Lost Places,
and Blue Asylum. Kathy is an advertising writer and creative director and has a master’s
degree in literature and composition from the University of Houston. Becky holds a
degree in History from the University of Texas and is a member of the National History
Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta. She has also written a series of articles about the
real female soldiers of the Civil War for Ancestry.com. Sisters of Shiloh is their first
collaborative work.
Suggestions for Further Reading
Chiaverini, Jennifer. Fates and Traitors
Dray, Stephanie, and Kamoie, Laura. America’s First Daughter
Jiles, Paulette. Enemy Women
Mitchell, Margaret. Gone with the Wind
Parmar, Priya. Vanessa and Her Sister
Vanderbes, Jennifer. The Secret of Raven Point
West, Rebecca. The Return of the Soldier
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway