Bookshop of Yesterdays (Meyerson) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
1. Miranda is forced to face some pretty shocking truths about her family. Were you surprised? What did you think Billy and Susan’s secret was? When did you discover the truth? When do you think Miranda realized the truth?
    
2. Miranda’s curiosity is piqued when she discovers that Evelyn died of a massive seizure. Did this strike you as suspicious? Does your family have any stories that you’ve always found suspicious?
    
3. Before Susan tells Miranda the truth of her past, Miranda realizes that no one else from Billy’s journey knows why Billy and Susan fought. Why does Billy let Susan’s version of their estrangement be the only version Miranda and the reader learn? How does Susan allow us to see the fight from both of their perspectives? Who do you sympathize with? Do you have any estrangements in your family?
    
4. Throughout the novel, Miranda meets several individuals from Billy’s past. Who is your favorite? Why?
    
5. We get different perspectives on Billy through the people Miranda meets. What do these versions of Billy have in common? How do they differ? How do they change Miranda’s memory of Billy? What do you think of Billy in response?
    
6. What impression do you have of Evelyn? How does her untimely death affect the way people remember her?
    
7. In the novel, Miranda has two love interests, Jay and Malcolm. How are they different? Who do you think is a better fit for her? Do you think she made the right decision?
    
8. What do you think the fate of Prospero Books is at the end of the novel? What statement does the novel make about independent bookstores? Is there a bookstore that you love?
    
9. The novel is full of literary references. Which clues are your favorites? Are there any books that you plan to read after reading this novel?
    
10. In Billy’s last clue from The Tempest, he highlights: The Rarer action is/In virtue than in vengeance. Miranda also tells her mother that The Tempest is ultimately a play about forgiveness. How is this a novel about forgiveness?

(Questions found on author's website.)

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