A Spool of Blue Thread, by Anne Tyler

Characters

Mr. and Mrs. Brill – first owners of house Jurvis Roy Whitshank “J. R.” or “Junior” Linnie May – wife Merrick and Redcliffe – children Merrick Barrister Walter “Trey” Barrister III – husband Pookie Vanderlin – Merrick’s friend, first engaged to Trey Redcliffe “Red” Whitshank Abby Amanda – Hugh (husband), Elise (daughter) Jeannie – Hugh (husband), Deb and Alexander 9children) Denny Douglas “Stem” - Nora (wife), three sons Susan – Denny’s daughter (not biological) with Carla Lawrence O’Brien and Barbara Jane “BJ” Eames Autry – Stem’s parents

 For Discussion:

NOTE:  Page numbers are from the paperback edition of the novel.

1. Discuss Junior and Linnie.  Could Junior have avoided marrying Linnie?  Did her really love her but didn’t know it?
2. It seemed the only time Linnie asserted herself was when she poured the blue paint on the sidewalk after Junior repainted the blue porch swing.   Do you think Linnie was happy?
3. In Part Two, before Abby and Junior were dating, Abby was helping Linnie in the kitchen and discussing Merrick.  Linnie said, “…it seems to me there’s just these certain types of people that come around and around in our lives…Easy types and hard types” (page 240, chapter 9).  Did you agree with this statement?   Are people even aware of being one type or another?  How would  you describe the characters in the novel – easy or hard?
4. When the Red and Merrick were young, Abby brought “orphans” into the house to help them, which annoyed the children.   At one point they commented that, “Other people showed love by offering compliments.  Abby offered pity.  It was not an attractive quality, in her children’s opinion” (page 67, chapter 4).  How did the different characters in the novel show their love to each other?
5. What did you think about Nora?  Was she really so perfect and easy going?  On page 195 (beginning chapter 8) Amanda commented to Denny, “I wish Stem and Nora weren’t so …virtuous.  It’s wearing, it what it is.”  
6. Discuss Denny.   What did you think he was like when he was away from family?    On the one hand the family thought he did not care about them, but on the other hand he helped out Jeannie during her postpartum depression (page 202, chapter 8).
7. Why didn’t Denny tell the family that he had graduated from college?  Abby thought it was because he wanted her to continue to worry about him (page 156, chapter 6).
8. Discuss Denny and Stem.  On the last page of chapter 3 Denny felt that Stem was, “More of a Whitshank than Denny was.”   Also, he asked his mother if the parents ever thought about asking the children’s permission before bringing Stem to live with them.   Do you think they should have asked?
9. When the subject of a retirement community came up, Red told his sister that he and Abby were “too independent for a retirement community” (page 132, chapter 5).   Her reply was that is was just another word for “selfish” and “It’s stiff-backed people like you who end up being the biggest burdens” (same page).  Do you agree?
10. In the last scene, do you think Denny should have spoken to the boy crying on the train?  Why or why not?
11. Have you ever heard the quote, “You are only as happy as your least happy child” (page 159, chapter 6)?  Do you think it is true?
12. This is the author’s 20^th novel.  How would it be different if she wrote it when she was much younger?
13. How do you think readers of different ages would read this book?  

*****

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