Book Club Questions and Topics for Discussion

Book club members, if you’d like to invite the author to virtually join your book club meeting, please contact the author at rtucker@rebeccatuckerbooks.com.

 

1. What do you think of the book’s title? How does it relate to the book’s contents? What other title might you have chosen?

2. What do you think the author’s purpose was in writing this book? What ideas were she trying to get across?

3. Did the characters seem realistic to you? Did they remind you of anyone?

4. Which character did you like most? Which character would you want to sit down to dinner with?

5. Did any symbolism used by the author stick out for you? What and why? (Consider the use of astronomy, physical space, and/or the concept of abandonment, to get you started.)

6. Share a favorite scene from this book? Why did this scene stand out to you?

7. Do you think Austin’s anger at her parents was justified? Who did you find yourself empathizing with the most?

8. What do you think about Austin’s feelings around how being born Jewish may somehow be “better” or “more Jewish” than converting to Judaism? 

9. What type of relationship did the Austin-Rivka pairing remind you of and why?

10. What do you think about Austin’s decision to find her birthmother? Did you understand Austin’s desire to search?

11. What, if anything, jumps out at you with Austin and Claire’s burgeoning relationship? 

12. Did you notice the ways in which these two women interact with each other non-verbally? What about the non-verbal ways they inhabited the same space? Did it influence your reading of their relationship?

13. Did you like the author’s narrative tone and style?

14. Would you read another book by this author? Why or why not?