A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Egan structures this historical account like a narrative thriller. How effective is this approach in making the history of the 1920s Klan accessible and engaging? What aspects of this storytelling style stood out to you?
• The book traces both the meteoric rise and dramatic fall of D. C. Stephenson. At what point in the narrative did you begin to sense his eventual downfall was inevitable? What choices or actions seemed most pivotal?
• How did reading about the Klan’s expansion into the American heartland challenge or change your previous understanding of the organization’s reach and influence in the 1920s?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Consider the various community leaders who initially supported or remained silent about the Klan’s activities. Have you witnessed similar dynamics of institutional silence in your own community when confronted with injustice?
• The book illustrates how ordinary citizens could be drawn into extremist movements through appeals to patriotism and traditional values. How do you maintain vigilance against manipulative rhetoric in your own life?
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