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Spoiler
Alert! Don’t read this character list
if you have not read the novel. Part
of the enjoyment of the novel was the author’s plot line that slowly revealed
each character’s background story. |
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Guests |
Staff |
|
Frances Welty
– author, last book rejected Paul Drabble – “boyfriend”, scam Lars Lee –
family lawyer, health retreat junki Ray – boyfriend Ben and
Jessica Chandler – lottery winners Lucy – Ben’s sister, drug overdose Napoleon
(teacher), Heather (midwife), and Zoe Marconi Zach – Zoe’s twin, suicide Tony Hogburn
“Smiley” – former football player Carmel
Schneider Four daughters Joel – ex-husband, Sonia - girlfriend |
Maria
Dmitrichenko “Masha” – Director Yao Delilah Jan –
masseuse, husband Gus (policeman) |
For Discussion:
NOTE: Page numbers are from the hardback copy.
1.
Were there some characters you connected with
more than others? Which one would you
like to be friends with in real life?
2.
When Frances was anticipating her counseling
session with Masha, she reflected that she had never been to counseling because
“she had friends for that. They all
counseled each other and it was generally a two-way process” (page 182). But then upon further reflection she thought,
“Other people’s problems were so simple, one’s own problems tended to be so
much more nuanced” (page 183). Why
do you think we can easily see solutions to other’s problems but not our own?
3.
The author addressed many social issues in the
novel. Were there too many? Did she do a good job realistically
addressing these? Did you gain any new
insights?
a.
Body image (Jessica, Frances, Carmel, Tony)
b.
Plastic surgery – Jessica thought she was
beautiful but Ben thought she was disfigured
c.
Loss of a child (Marconi family, Masha)
d.
Divorce (Carmel, Tony)
e.
Sudden wealth (Jessica and Ben)
f.
Suicide (Zach)
g.
Drugs (Lucy)
4.
Through Frances the author addressed issues
faced by middle aged women in particular.
For example, when they were younger her friends envied her life style,
but as they got older, they seemed to pity her because she was single and had
no children. What other aspects of a
middle-aged woman’s life did the author accurately depict?
5.
Were you surprised that Frances fell for the
romance scam with Paul Drabble? Why was
she susceptible to this scam? Did you
think she would be more sophisticated and understand what was happening?
6.
Discuss Yao.
Why did he go to work with Masha?
7.
What do you think Masha’s goal was when she had
the guests each defend one of the others to her?
8.
How do you think you would have handled the four
days of “noble silence?”
9.
Each guest received a daily schedule they were
to follow. Do you think you would like
not having to think about what you were going to do all day?
10.
Were you surprised to discover that the guests
had all been given low levels of drugs?
11.
Lars pointed out the inscription on the wall of
the room made by the two convicts and said, “The lowest point in your life can
lead to the highest” (page 387). Did we
see this in the various characters? Was
it just the opposite with Jessica and Ben – the highest point in their lives
led to the lowest?
12.
Three months after the retreat, Heather wanted
Napoleon to be angry with her because she did not read the insert with Zach’s
medicine. After he did so, they listed
each thing they felt guilty about that they did or did not do. Do you think this will help each person to
move forward?
13.
Did you like the way the author slowly revealed
everyone’s story or would you have preferred to know each backstory
sooner?
14.
Did you like how the author ended the novel –
telling what happened in the aftermath to each of the characters?
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