Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:
• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)
Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for The Winner:
1. This is a plot-driven suspense story. Does it live up to its reputation as a "thriller"? In other words, does the story keep you on the edge of your seat? How so?
2. How would you describe LuAnn—what kind of personality does she have? Why does she eventually accept Jackson's offer?
3. Then there's Jackson—the kind of character you love to hate! How about Uncle Charlie and his softspot for LuAnn and her daughter? Finally, were you rooting, or not, for Matthew Riggs?
4. Does LuAnn's fortune play into your own "sudden-wealth" fantasies? What would you have done in her place—accept the offer from Jackson immediately, never accept it, even after Duane's foul-up? Or do exactly what LuAnn does—accept it under duress? And—big question—how would you spend the money?
5. The story, ultimately, is about the possibility of recreating one's identify, changing one's life, and leaving behind a less-than-happy past. For many, it might be wish fulfillment. Is it for you? If you could make yourself over again, what kind of life would you create? Who would you be, what would you do, where would you live? And what would you be getting away from?
6. The title, "The Winner," has a double significance. It obviously refers to the lottery, but what else?
7. Were you satisfied by the ending? Did it fulfill your hopes? Was it predictable, or were you surprised?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)
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