Because of the topical nature of many of her books, Clark's fiction should provide good material for group discussion. Many of her novels have been taken from current newspaper stories which involve women and children in danger. These stories often repeat ongoing situations which may have been experienced by members of the discussion group and therefore could resonate strongly with them.

Both highly emotional and personal, Clark's themes and plots, in spite of the ways they are dealt with in the fiction, are frequently capable of multiple interpretations which can be extended well beyond the confines of her books.

For example, although she would not admit to being a feminist writer, the focus on women and their problems in the novels raise many issues now being debated in public as well as feminist circles. Those issues include the place of marriage and children and the importance...