Good Luck with That (Higgins) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
1. The author chose not to reveal the exact weights and sizes of Georgia and Marley, leaving you to draw your own conclusions? How did you picture Marley and Georgia? How do you think body image affects women who aren’t overweight? Does someone’s weight influence how you judge them?

2. Marley is a twin without a twin and feels the need to fill that void through friendships and relationships. How do you think the ghost of Frankie has helped and hurt her through the years? What about her family’s treatment of Frankie? How much do you think the loss of Frankie affected Marley’s physical self?

3. Marley is someone who embraces the idea of “healthy at any weight.” She eats well most of the time, loves to exercise and has a pretty positive self-image. In one scene, she takes a hard look at her body and decides she will not only accept it in its current size, but appreciate it. Do you think it’s possible to overcome negative stereotypes you hold about yourself?

4. Georgia’s brother, Hunter, is negative, intolerant and often cruel. Have you ever met someone like him? How do you think his treatment of Georgia as a child sabotaged her in her adult life? Do you think it’s possible for someone like Hunter to be a good parent? Do you know anyone like Georgia and Hutner’s mother, who treats her children in a vastly different manner?

5. Emerson’s weight and eating issues are not romanticized—the difficulty of her day-to-day life, her isolation, the lies she tells others and herself, the constant obsession with food. Do you know anyone like her, and if so, do you ever discuss food issues with them? How has that been?

6. Emerson, Georgia and Marley are not the only female characters with weight issues in this book. Who are some of the other characters who have weight problems, and what are the issues they represent in the story?

7. Marley, Georgia and Emerson have a very deep bond. Georgia and Marley see each other more often, but both women still feel very connected to Emerson over the years. How can friends stay close without spending time together? Do you have any long-distance friends who are especially close to you? Why do you think Marley and Georgia remained so close?

8. Do you think our culture has impossible beauty standards?Are these changing at all?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)

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