Rodham: A Novel
Curtis Sittenfeld, 2020
Random House
432 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780399590917
Summary
From the author of American Wife and Eligible … He proposed. She said no. And it changed her life forever.
In 1971, Hillary Rodham is a young woman full of promise: Life magazine has covered her Wellesley commencement speech, she’s attending Yale Law School, and she’s on the forefront of student activism and the women’s rights movement.
And then she meets Bill Clinton. A handsome, charismatic southerner and fellow law student, Bill is already planning his political career. In each other, the two find a profound intellectual, emotional, and physical connection that neither has previously experienced.
In the real world, Hillary followed Bill back to Arkansas, and he proposed several times; although she said no more than once, as we all know, she eventually accepted and became Hillary Clinton.
But in Curtis Sittenfeld’s powerfully imagined tour-de-force of fiction, Hillary takes a different road. Feeling doubt about the prospective marriage, she endures their devastating breakup and leaves Arkansas.
Over the next four decades, she blazes her own trail—one that unfolds in public as well as in private, that involves crossing paths again (and again) with Bill Clinton, that raises questions about the tradeoffs all of us must make in building a life.
Brilliantly weaving a riveting fictional tale into actual historical events, Curtis Sittenfeld delivers an uncannily astute and witty story for our times.
In exploring the loneliness, moral ambivalence, and iron determination that characterize the quest for political power, as well as both the exhilaration and painful compromises demanded of female ambition in a world still run mostly by men, Rodham is a singular and unforgettable novel. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—August 23, 1975
• Where—Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
• Education—B.A., Stanford University; M.F.A., Iowa Writers' Workshop
• Currently—lives in St. Louis, Missouri
Elizabeth Curtis Sittenfeld is an American writer, the author of several novels and a collection of short stories.
Sittenfeld was the second of four children (three girls and a boy) of Paul G. Sittenfeld, an investment adviser, and Elizabeth (Curtis) Sittenfeld, an art history teacher and librarian at Seven Hills School, a private school in Cincinnati.
She attended Seven Hills School through the eighth grade, then attended high school at Groton School, a boarding school in Groton, Massachusetts, graduating in 1993. In 1992, the summer before her senior year, she won Seventeen magazine's fiction contest.
She attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, before transferring to Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. At Stanford, she studied Creative Writing, wrote articles for the college newspaper, and edited that paper's weekly arts magazine. At the time, she was also chosen as one of Glamour magazine's College Women of the Year. She earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa.
Novels
• Prep
Her first novel Prep (2005) deals with coming of age, self-identity, and class distinctions in the preppy and competitive atmosphere of a private school.
• The Man of My Dreams
Sittenfeld's second novel, The Man of My Dreams (2006), follows a girl named Hannah from the end of her 8th grade year through her college years at Tufts and into her late twenties.
• American Wife
Sittenfeld's third novel, American Wife (2008), is the tale of Alice Blackwell, a fictional character who shares many similarities with former First Lady Laura Bush.
• Sisterland
Her fourth novel, Sisterland (2013), concerns a set of identical twins who have psychic powers, one of whom hides her strange gift while the other has become a professional psychic.
• Eligible
A 21st-century retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Eligible was released in 2016. (Adapted from Wikipedia. Retrieved 6/12/2013.)
Book Reviews
[I]ntelligent and respectful and well made but bland…. Rodham never has a thought, in this novel, that stabs you or comes from anywhere close to left field. As if it were the Great Salt Lake, you won’t sink in this book—but it won’t quench your thirst, either…. The best thing about reading Rodham, while living through our government’s response to the coronavirus, is that it allows us to do something some of us were doing already, which is to recall her competence and empathy and to miss her enormously.
Dwight Garner - New York Times
[R]eadable and psychologically acute…. Ms. Sittenfeld is at her best in depicting the bizarre freak show into which presidential elections have devolved…. Ms. Sittenfeld’s one misstep in this hugely enjoyable book was in turning Bill Clinton into a comic-book villain…. Caught up in the novel, I was almost surprised to remember… that these two forged a partnership that has endured in spite of everything— [which] is more interesting than Ms. Sittenfeld’s simplistic good feminist/bad sexist dichotomy.
Brooke Allen - Wall Street Journal
Curtis Sittenfeld’s Rodham descends like an avenging angel… a high-profile novel—not a parody or a joke book, but a serious work of literary fiction…. While telling a compelling story, Rodham provides an insightful analysis of the function of sexism in our political discourse…. Sittenfeld is at her wittiest when re-creating the men who dominate modern American politics… captures Trump better than any other novel has so far… It’s an astounding, slaying parody.
Ron Charles - Washington Post
Smart, engaging, and heartbreakingly plausible…. Hillary always was a policy wonk, and Sittenfeld evokes her smart, detailed voice for good and ill…. In the longing and loneliness, the anger as well as ambition, this Hillary makes Rodham a compelling portrait of a future that might have been.
Clea Simon - Boston Globe
In this entertaining political fantasy, Sittenfeld… begins with an intimate perspective on historical events… [and] movingly captures Hillary’s awareness of her transformation into a complicated public figure…. [An] often funny, mostly sympathetic, and always sharp what-if.
Publishers Weekly
[A] fascinating premise…. Successfully interspersing fact with fiction, Sittenfeld imagines Rodham's personal and professional life without marriage in aching detail in this captivating novel. —Melissa DeWild, Comstock Park, MI
Library Journal
Daring, seductive, and provocative… [an] exhilaratingly trenchant, funny, and affecting tale…. Sittenfeld orchestrates a gloriously cathartic antidote to the actual struggles women presidential candidates face in a caustically divided America.
Booklist
Sittenfeld… [creates] an interior world for a woman everyone thinks they know. This Hillary tracks with the real person who’s been living in public all these years, and it’s enjoyable to hear her think about her own desires, her strengths and weaknesses.
Kirkus Reviews
Rodham is a provocative, bitingly funny re-imagining of what a woman’s life could be if she didn’t need to compromise her own ambitions in support of her partner’s. Sittenfeld has written a nuanced, astute portrait of one of modern history’s most contentious figures, and never shies away from either the thornier aspects of her character, or those of our society.
Refinery29
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for RODHAM ... and then take off on your own:
1. How does this book portray the Hillary we know from her long years in the public's eye? Is the portrayal credible? Is the Hillary Rodham in this novel the same woman (we think) we have known through years of watching and hearing her? What kind of inner life does the novel reveal?
2. Talk about Hillary's 1969 commencement speech at Wellsley, which has been a famous touchstone throughout her public career. Why do you think Curtis Sittenfeld included it in this novel? What does it reveal about Hillary?
3. Talk about Bill Clinton. How does he come across in the novel? Is it a fair portrait, unfair, a funny one, or unpleasant one?
4. Talk about the sexism and the double standard ever present in American politics that Settinfeld details explicitly. Does her depiction feel about right to you? Does she over- or under-do it?
5. What about portrayals of other real-life characters, primarily Donald Trump?
6. In what way does Hillary's youthful idealism fade as she engages with the realities of politics? Is that loss of idealism inevitable? Why or why not?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)
A Burning
Megha Majumdar, 2020
Knopf Doubleday
304 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780525658696
Summary
An electrifying debut novel about three unforgettable characters who seek to rise—to the middle class, to political power, to fame in the movies—and find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in contemporary India.
Jivan is a Muslim girl from the slums, determined to move up in life, who is accused of executing a terrorist attack on a train because of a careless comment on Facebook.
PT Sir is an opportunistic gym teacher who hitches his aspirations to a right-wing political party, and finds that his own ascent becomes linked to Jivan's fall.
Lovely—an irresistible outcast whose exuberant voice and dreams of glory fill the novel with warmth and hope and humor—has the alibi that can set Jivan free, but it will cost her everything she holds dear.
Taut, symphonic, propulsive, and riveting from its opening lines, A Burning has the force of an epic while being so masterfully compressed it can be read in a single sitting.
Majumdar writes with dazzling assurance at a breakneck pace on complex themes that read here as the components of a thriller: class, fate, corruption, justice, and what it feels like to face profound obstacles and yet nurture big dreams in a country spinning toward extremism. An extraordinary debut. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Kolkata, India
• Education—B.A., Harvard University; M.S., Johns Hopkins University
• Currently—lives in New York City, New York
Megha Majumdar was born and raised in Kolkata, India. She moved to the United States to attend college at Harvard University, followed by graduate school in social anthropology at Johns Hopkins University. She works as an editor at Catapult, and lives in New York City. A Burning is her first book. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
Megha Majumdar's propulsive debut novel… is a book to relish for its details… descriptions of life, of stench and bodies, of stifled ambitions and stoked resentments…. What we describe helplessly as our fate is, very often, other people's choices acting upon us—choices that remain largely unknown…. The interplay of choice and circumstance has always been the playing field of great fiction, and on this terrain, a powerful new writer stakes her claim.
New York Times - Parul Sehgal
[W]hile engaging, the book occasionally reads more like straightforward social commentary than a fully realized fictional world. What rescues it… are the detailed and personal voices of its narrators, particularly the women at its heart.… A Burning is heartbreaking, a damning indictment of a society depicted as utterly corrupt and racist. Even with its flaws, the book is an engaging and fast read.
Clea Simon - Boston Globe
[A] gripping thriller with compassionate social commentary.… Majumdar's powerful debut is carefully crafted for maximum impact, carving out the most urgent parts of its characters for the whole world to see. This novel rightfully commands attention.
USA Today
In her captivating debut novel A Burning, Megha Majumdar presents a powerful corrective to the political narratives that have dominated in contemporary India.
Time
Remarkable…. Early buzz is already comparing A Burning to the work of modern literary stars… but the voice—or voices—here are entirely Majumdar’s own.
Entertainment Weekly
Combines fast-paced plotting with the kind of atmospheric detail one might find in the work of Jhumpa Lahiri or Daniyal Mueenuddin.… A highly compelling read
Vogue
[A]udacious…. Majumdar expertly weaves the book’s various points of view and plotlines in ways that are both unexpected and inevitable. This is a memorable, impactful work.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review) And what has burned? A train, torched…with more than 100 left dead.… [T]he author offers fresh, brisk, striking language while remaining relentless in her depiction of Jivan's fate and of the kind of rampant suspicion and finally hatred that burns us all.
Library Journal
(Starred review) Kolkata-born and Harvard- and Johns Hopkins–educated book editor Majumdar presents an electrifying debut that serves as a barometer measuring the seeming triviality of human life and the fragility of human connections.
Booklist
[S]harply observes class and religious divisions in India.… Majumdar has a gift for capturing… scenes in just a few well-chosen images….But Jivan’s storyline feels a bit thin…. The novel’s brilliant individual vignettes far outshine a rather flimsy overarching plot.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
1. In A Burning, Jivan’s social media usage ultimately leads her to become a victim of the state. Consider her statement: "If the police didn’t help ordinary people like you and me, if the police watched them die, doesn’t that mean . . . that the government is also a terrorist?" (pp. 5–6). How does this messaging reverberate throughout the novel? How is social media used both as a tool of activism and as a tool of repression in our current society? Have you ever felt at risk expressing your opinions on social media?
2. Why do you think Lovely dreams of becoming a movie star? How does this ambition relate to the instances of disrespect she faces in public, as well as to the ceremonies at which she is welcomed?
3. Shortly after her arrest, Jivan states: "A woman like me is never believed" (p. 22). Discuss the import of this statement for the overall narrative. What assumptions are made about Jivan based on her religion? Her socioeconomic standing? How does she try to defy societal expectations throughout her life?
4. Consider your initial impression of PT Sir. How would you describe his day-to-day life before he attends the rally? How did the rally change his point of view on political engagement?
5. Consider the two interstitial chapters that are written from the vantage point of Jivan’s mother and father. Why do you think the author chose to include these two brief scenes? How do they contribute to the emotional impact of the narrative? Describe Jivan’s relationship with her parents.
6. Discuss Jivan’s choice to involve a journalist in sharing her story. What are her initial impressions of Purnendu? Describe her childhood and the incidents that Purnendu chose to highlight. What does the tone of the final article imply about truth and narrative?
7. Consider the conditions of Jivan’s imprisonment. How does she conduct herself in her day-to-day life? Describe her relationship with the other incarcerated women. How does Jivan’s decision to bribe Americandi weigh on her conscience?
8. Throughout A Burning, there are scenes and moments in which a culture of violence against women is brought to the forefront. How do women in the novel navigate this expectation of violence and misogyny? How do they resist it?
9. Education plays an integral role in A Burning. How is the education system described? Consider PT Sir’s role within it and Jivan’s experience in his school. How does the act of learning English become a form of empowerment for her? For Lovely
10. Discuss "Interlude: The Villagers Visit the Beef-Eater." How did this scene affect you as a reader? Consider how anti-Muslim rhetoric and action is depicted in the novel. What does the state’s indifference to this violence imply about the relationship between justice and power?
11. At several points in the novel, Jivan discusses her aspirations to become middle class. Describe the conditions of her childhood and how they are depicted in the narrative. What are some of Jivan’s earliest moments of class consciousness? What does being "middle-class" mean to her at different points in her life?
12. On page 98, Lovely states: "In this life, everybody is knowing how to give me shame. So I am learning how to reflect shame back on them also." When does Lovely feel most comfortable in her identity? At what points does she seem to feel the most shame in the novel?
13. At several points in the novel, the reader witnesses characters become morally flexible as they strive to achieve personal goals. Who, in your opinion, is the most morally reprehensible?
14. What was the most surprising aspect of the novel? How did your understanding of various characters change over the course of the novel?
15. A Burning is a novel that meditates on issues of power and agency. How does power change PT Sir? Lovely? At what moment is Jivan most empowered? Did you find that this book helped you think about injustice, power, and agency in your own life and community? How so?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)
The Guest List
Lucy Foley, 2020
HarperCollins
320 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780062868930
Summary
A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hunting Party.
The bride – The plus one – The best man – The wedding planner – The bridesmaid – The body
On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one.
— The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star.
— The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher.
It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human.
As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.
And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why? (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—1985
• Where—London, England, UK
• Education—Durham University; University College London
• Currently—lives in London, England
Lucy Foley is a British novelist, born and still living in London. She is best known for her works of historical fiction, but she also published two murder mysteries, The Hunting Party (2019) and The Guest List (2020).
After studying English Literature at Durham University in Northeast England and University College London, Foley worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry, before leaving to write full-time. The Hunting Party was inspired by a particularly remote spot in Scotland that fired her imagination.
Foley's historical novels—The Book of Lost and Found (2015), The Invitation (2016) and Last Letter from Istanbul (2018)—have been translated into sixteen languages. Her journalism has appeared in ES Magazine, Sunday Times Style, Grazia and more. (Adapted from Amazon.)
Book Reviews
Evoking the great Agatha Christie classics. Lucy Foley’s clever, taut new novel,… takes us to a creepy island off the coast of Ireland…. Foley builds her suspense slowly and creepily, deploying an array of narrators bristling with personal secrets…. Pay close attention to seemingly throwaway details about the characters’ pasts. They are all clues.
New York Times Book Review
[E]ntertaining if uneven ... Foley defers disclosing the murder victim’s identity until quite late, but she undercuts the suspense with obvious indications of who it is.… [Still,] readers seeking thrills will find plenty.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review) Foley outdoes herself again with this page-turning thriller…. Only a handful of thriller writers can accomplish what Foley does here: weave a complex plot from the perspectives of eight characters plus an omniscient narrator without causing confusion. —Adriana Delgado, West Palm Beach, FL
Library Journal
At times the story threatens to overwhelm itself with a bit too much ominous darkness and "anxious distraction," but fans of the genre will enjoy the proceedings, imagining just how good that sumptuous wedding cake might have tasted.
Booklist
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, please use our GENERIC MYSTERY QUESTIONS to start a discussion for THE GUEST LIST… then take off on your own:
GENERIC DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Mystery / Crime / Suspense Thrillers
1. Talk about the characters, both good and bad. Describe their personalities and motivations. Are they fully developed and emotionally complex? Or are they flat, one-dimensional heroes and villains?
2. What do you know...and when do you know it? At what point in the book do you begin to piece together what happened?
3. Good crime writers embed hidden clues in plain sight, slipping them in casually, almost in passing. Did you pick them out, or were you...clueless? Once you've finished the book, go back to locate the clues hidden in plain sight. How skillful was the author in burying them?
4. Good crime writers also tease us with red-herrings—false clues—to purposely lead readers astray? Does your author try to throw you off track? If so, were you tripped up?
5. Talk about the twists & turns—those surprising plot developments that throw everything you think you've figured out into disarray.
- Do they enhance the story, add complexity, and build suspense?
- Are they plausible or implausible?
- Do they feel forced and gratuitous—inserted merely to extend the story?
6. Does the author ratchet up the suspense? Did you find yourself anxious—quickly turning pages to learn what happened? A what point does the suspense start to build? Where does it climax...then perhaps start rising again?
7. A good ending is essential in any mystery or crime thriller: it should ease up on tension, answer questions, and tidy up loose ends. Does the ending accomplish those goals?
- Is the conclusion probable or believable?
- Is it organic, growing out of clues previously laid out by the author (see Question 3)?
- Or does the ending come out of the blue, feeling forced or tacked-on?
- Perhaps it's too predictable.
- Can you envision a different or better ending?
8. Are there certain passages in the book—ideas, descriptions, or dialogue—that you found interesting or revealing...or that somehow struck you? What lines, if any, made you stop and think?
9. Overall, does the book satisfy? Does it live up to the standards of a good crime story or suspense thriller? Why or why not?
(Generic Mystery Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)
The Second Home
Christina Clancy, 2020
St. Martin's Press
352 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781250239341
Summary
Some places never leave you...
After a disastrous summer spent at her family’s home on Cape Cod when she is seventeen, Ann Gordon is very happy to never visit Wellfleet again.
If only she’d stayed in Wisconsin, she might never have met Anthony Shaw, and she would have held onto the future she’d so carefully planned for herself.
Instead, Ann ends up harboring a devastating secret that strains her relationship with her parents, sends her sister Poppy to every corner of the world chasing waves (and her next fling), and leaves her adopted brother Michael estranged from the family.
Now, fifteen years later, her parents have died, and Ann and Poppy are left to decide the fate of the beach house that’s been in the Gordon family for generations.
For Ann, the once-beloved house is forever tainted with bad memories. And while Poppy loves the old saltbox on Drummer Cove, owning a house means settling, and she’s not sure she’s ready to stay in one place.
Just when the sisters decide to sell, Michael re-enters their lives with a legitimate claim to a third of the estate. He wants the house. But more than that, he wants to set the record straight about what happened that long-ago summer that changed all of their lives forever.
As the siblings reunite after years apart, their old secrets and lies, longings and losses, are pulled to the surface. Is the house the one thing that can still bring them together––or will it tear them apart, once and for all?
Told through the shifting perspectives of Ann, Poppy, and Michael, this assured and affecting debut captures the ache of nostalgia for summers past and the powerful draw of the places we return to again and again.
It is about second homes, second families, and second chances. Tender and compassionate, incisive and heartbreaking, The Second Home is the story of a family you'll quickly fall in love with, and won't soon forget. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Raised—Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Education—Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Currently—lives in Madison, Wisconsin
Christina Clancy grew up Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and summered in her grandparents' home in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Second Home is her first novel; her second is on the way.
Clancy's work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Sun Magazine and in various literary journals, including Glimmer Train, Pleiades and Hobart. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
[A] florid, beach-ready debut…. While the Shaw characters can be disappointingly flat in a way that borders on cartoonish, Clancy’s affectionate descriptions of Wellfleet are transporting. This is sure to be a favorite with book clubs.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review) A riveting family saga…, Clancy's debut novel is a delight. With nostalgia as thick as the scent of coconut-scented sunscreen, The Second Home explores the consequences of emotional decisions and the strength needed to set things right.
Booklist
Clancy’s novel rests heavily on… a not-entirely-solid structure that raises questions of credibility…. While matters head toward not unexpected resolutions, the immersiveness of this holiday read remains hobbled by cool characters and an implausible plot.
Kirkus Reviews
[A] pitch-perfect summer novel with a scintillating combination of drama, heart and lovely prose that will stay with you long into autumn…. Masterfully plotted…, The Second Home is a riveting and dark family saga.
Bookreporter
Discussion Questions
1. "Cape Cod felt like a hazy dream the rest of the year, a place suspended forever in beach days filled with sunshine and warmth" (1). Do you have a place from your younger years that inhabits your memory in this way? How does the youthful memory compare to the reality?
2. "Upon returning to their home in Wellfleet, Ann felt her parents’ radiant energy in everything she saw as she paced the house to stay warm: the chipped wine glass left in the sink, the sloppily folded beach towels and stained pillowcases, in her mother’s cookbooks, her father’s telescope, even in the bulb digger where they’d always hidden the skeleton key that unlocked the back door" (1). Imagine walking into a house—what would "tell" of your own parents, what would signal that they were the most recent inhabitants? When you are gone, what objects might reflect your presence?
3. "It smelled like rotten eggs at low tide, but that was a smell she loved in the same primal way that she’d loved the smell of Noah’s sweet bald head when he was a baby… every molecule in her body seemed to change" (3). What senses are activated by a special place or person? What powers can smell have?
4. How do each of the Gordon children explore and deal with the loss of their parents? Did you consider any of their reactions healthy or unique?
5. Michael’s background is very different from that of Ann and Poppy. What intense experiences has he already had before joining the Gordon family? What misconceptions did outsiders hold about what Michael might bring into their lives?
6. "She loved Michael, so why did she feel so selfish? She wanted to tell Michael that the house was theirs, and summer was her time with her father." (45) Can you track Poppy’s emotions in this adolescent outburst? What is she wrestling with here? How do Ann’s complicated feelings toward Michael manifest over the course of the novel?
7. What role does family—the ones we’re born into and the ones we create—serve? What are some assumptions w emight make about families like the Shaws?
8. "He signed quickly, before he could change his mind. And just like that, he became a nobody" (138). What does this mean, for Michael to become a "nobody"? Did you feel empathy for Michael’s choice? Which adults could have handled the situation differently?
9. "Just look at us. One of your kids is missing, the other is a burn out, and I’m a teenage mom. Great job, you guys"(153)! What did you make of the Gordon family? Are their secrets and struggles commonplace?
10. The Shaw family is, on its surface, quite different from the Gordons. Do they share any similarities? Did you feel sympathy for Maureen? What about for the Shaw boys?
11. Discuss the role and impact of secrets in this novel. Are they inherently destructive, or are some secrets worth keeping? Why do Ann and Michael hold on to their secrets, and why is Connie’s illness not openly shared with Poppy?
12. How is Anthony able to manipulate both Ann and Michael? What kind of power does he hold over each of them?
13. "She felt like a part of her drowned in that pond" (110). As a reader, what was it like to read Ann’s rape scene and the unraveling that followed? Why does Ann blame herself for what happened that night, and everything that came after?
14. "Poppy was the victim of collateral damage" (267). Discuss Poppy’s trajectory from unsupervised teen with risky behaviors to globe-traveling yoga teacher and commitment phobe, to mother. What makes Poppy resist responsibility and returning home? What changes for her?
15. In what ways do children and grandchildren change the dynamics of a family?
16. How does Ann’s confrontation of Anthony affect her? Discuss the emotion and drama of this scene, and the impact on you as a reader. Did this meeting play out as you expected?
17. Explore what Wellfleet means to each of the main characters in the novel—what did it represent for Connie and Ed, for Michael and, ultimately, for the sisters? Why are they drawn to it? What are they nostalgic for?
18. "We should have figured this out. Should have assumed the best about each other, not the worst." (330) Why is Ann so late to forgive or welcome Michael back into her life? In what specific ways did they each feel betrayed?
19. "Is that what houses really were, containers for families? And once the containers were gone, the people inside were just set loose in the world, particles" (239). A theme throughout the novel is that houses hold our histories. How does this play out on the page, and has it proven true in your life?
20. "It was still theirs, still in the family, still vulnerable to the elements, still requiring upkeep. It was an anchor, yes ,but one that held her in place" (337). How is a house an "anchor" and what does that mean for these characters moving forward?
(Questions issued by the publishers.)
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler
Kelly Harms, 2019
Amazon Publishing
332 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781542040570
Summary
Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break.
So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City.
Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and—with a little encouragement from her friends—a few blind dates.
When one man in particular makes quick work of Amy’s heart, she risks losing herself completely in the unexpected escape, and as the summer comes to an end, Amy realizes too late that she must make an impossible decision: stay in this exciting new chapter of her life, or return to the life she left behind.
But before she can choose, a crisis forces the two worlds together, and Amy must stare down a future where she could lose both sides of herself, and every dream she’s ever nurtured, in the beat of a heart. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
Kelly Harms is an author, a mother, and a big dreamer. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her sparkling son, Griffin; her fluffy dog, Scout; and her beloved Irishman, Chris.
Before this midwestern life, she lived in New York, New York, and worked with many of her author-heroes as an editor at HarperCollins and then as a literary agent.
When she’s not lost in a book that she’s either writing or reading, you can find her on the water, in the water, or near the water. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
Readers will be rooting for Amy as she navigates the dating world and makes friends who will stick with her…. [Readers] will fall for Amy… [and Harms's] great light read full of tears, laughter, and charming, relatable characters. —Jane Blue, Davie Cty. P.L., NC
Library Journal
In [an]easygoing, character-driven style…, Harms’s warm and witty novel will tickle fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.
Booklist
The story is unevenly paced and has some cliched characters and a contrived setup. In the end, convenient compromises make everyone happy…. Worn-out moms might enjoy this escapist story of a runaway mother's fantasy "momspringa."
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, 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)
(Resources by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)