Information for Book Clubs

No Paved Road to Freedom makes an excellent book club selection. It is an easy read that your members won’t want to put down, and it makes for great discussion at your meeting. Book clubs are saying it is a “Must Read.”


Author Sharon Rushton is available to talk to your book club via Skype or by phone.  If she has signings or talks in your area, she can participate in person. 

The subject of the book, Cornel Dolana, is available by phone.

Download the discussion guide for No Paved Road To Freedom in a Word document or use the information below.

When your book club selects No Paved Road To Freedom, encourage your members to explore the Website. Under the heading “Beyond” you’ll find “Audio” where you can hear the subject of the book, Cornel Dolana, make a few statements and pronounce Romanian words used in the book .  Under “Photos” you’ll find more photos of Cornel, his family, and the village where he grew up.

When you meet, go to “Beyond” and then "Maps" where you’ll find the maps used in the book, plus a link to Google Maps where Cornel’s Journey is highlighted.

Suggested discussion topics among book club members

  1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this book?
  2. Did any of your families come from a communist country or have a similar escape story?
  3. What part of this book inspired you in some way?
  4. What event from the book stood out to you?
  5. Did you learn something you didn’t know before?
  6. Do you feel as if your views on a subject have changed by reading this story?
  7. Have you had a life changing revelation from reading the book?
  8. What major emotion did the story evoke in you as a reader?
  9. At what point in the book did you decide if you liked it or not? What helped make this decision? Name your favorite thing overall about the book. Your least favorite?
  10. If you could change something about the book what would it be and why?
  11. Describe what you liked or disliked about the writer’s style?
  12. If you were in that situation would you have accepted that way of life, fought it, and/or tried to escape?
  13. Would you have had the courage and determination to keep trying to reach freedom despite setbacks?
  14. Do you see any parallels to what is taking place in America?

Questions for the author, Sharon Rushton

  1. Why did you decide to write Cornel’s story?
  2. Tell us about your experiences while writing the book?
  3. Why is the book categorized as fictionalized when it is a true story?
  4. What were Cornel’s and his families’ experiences when they returned to Romania?
  5. What is Cornel doing today?

Questions for the subject of the book, Cornel Dolana

  1. Tell us about your experiences when you returned to Romania?
  2. If you had it to do over again and knowing what you went through, would you still try to escape?
  3. What was it like when you first came to the U.S.?
  4. What are you doing today?