Recipe Box (Lee) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
(The following questions were offered to LitLovers by Angela at Ligonier Public Library, Ligonier, IN. Thank you, Angela.)

1. Sandra Lee is famous for her television show on the Food Network, books, and magazines; all of which are non-fiction. How successful was her first voyage into fiction in the form of The Recipe Box.

2. Sandra Lee is especially known for her recipes that focus around Semi-Homemade and Keeping it Simple. What did you think of the recipes included in the book? Was there any that you wanted to make copies of? Did you find the recipe index helpful?

3. Did you agree with Ken about the secret of the recipe box, is it something to get over and leave in the past, or with Grace that it changed her whole view on the world and the connections she had?

4. Is there that much difference in Lorraine hiding the secret of Grace’s father and Grace hiding the secret of the reasons of her divorce from her daughter? Then later, the larger secret of Grace not truly knowing who the father of Emma truly is? Why does Grace not see, especially when trouble arises with Emma, that honesty may be the needed element.

5. Do you think Grace is like the recipe box—“a hard, weather shell hiding a heart-shattering truth in plain sight”?

6. What do you think of Grace’s relationships with the four men in her life: Von, Brian, Mike, and Ken?

7. Later Grace sees the real value of the recipe box. That instead of causing her pain, it instead was the source of so many good things such as history, heritage, and love. Do you have anything passed through your family that is like this?

8. The relationship between Grace and Emma dramatically changes from beginning to end. What was she failing on as a mother and what did Emma really need from her? What was the best move Grace made in dealing with Emma?
(Questions courtesy of Angela at Ligonier Public Library, Ligonier, IN. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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