Before We Were Innocent, by Ella Berman

 

Characters

Joni Le Bon (Bonnier) Willa Bailey – fiancée Zoey – cheating with her   Elizabeth “Bess” Winter Steven – brother, Nova wife 5oulm8s – dating site, investigates and settles complaints   Evangelene “Ev” Aetos Stavros and Freya – parents Theo – brother, wife Sophia Home is Tinos – Greek Island

Minor Characters

Detectives Frost and Jenkins – investigating Willa’s disappearance   Zack, Bardo and Robbie – Theo’s friends the summer of Ev’s death   Lucien Miller – Willa’s lover, arrested

 

1.      Why did Joni make up the story about her being with Bess and Ev when Ev died when the truth left her totally beyond suspicion?  In 2018 Steven told Bess, “It makes zero sense why Joni would tell you to lie.  She placed you both at the scene of the crime when you weren’t there.  That makes no sense” (page 324).

2.      In 2018, Bess tells Steven “It was my fault Evangeline fell…I decided not to mention the path down to the beach that turned out to be hauntingly easy to traverse” (page 323).  Was it her fault?

3.      Discuss Joni’s and Bess’ reaction when they got home from Greece.  Joni used the experience to launch her entire career and Bess withdrew from society. 

4.      When Joni’s book was published, did the conversation with Bess and the dedication change or add to your idea of Joni?  She told Bess, “The book’s about the choices we make every day, often without realizing it” (page 271).

5.      Why do you think Joni planned for the book release to be on the 10-year anniversary of Ev’s death?

 6.      Why do you think Joni did what she did?  On page 335 Bess thought, “All this time I blamed myself for what happened when Joni could have put me out of my misery be telling me one single truth – it wasn’t my fault.”   Later Bess realized, “Only now I understand more.  I understand why she’s dedicated her entire life’s work to helping people like me…it was because of what she did to me on that beach in Mykonos.  For not only pulling me down with her but making me feel grateful for the privilege” (pages 335-336).

7.      What do you think happened to Joni in the end?

8.      How do you think Bess moved on after Joni’s disappearance?   Did she continue to isolate herself from the world or rejoin it?

Great Circle, by Maggie Shipstead

 

Characters
Marian Graves	Hadley Baxter
Addison Graves – father, ship captain, abandoned ship and saved twins Annabel – wife, drowned Jamie – twin, brother, artist Wallace – Addison’s brother, raised twins Berit - housekeeper   Caleb Kamaka – school friend Joey – son   Sarah Fahey – girl Jamie met in Seattle Adelaide Scott – daughter, sculptress, met Marian as a child, Jamie’s biological daughter   The Flying Brayfogles -Felix and Trixie   Trout Marx – pilot, teacher   Barclay Macqueen – bootlegger, owns plane, husband, eventually jailed Sadler – chauffer Katie - daughter   1934 – Marian to Atlanta – aka Jane Smith, abortion, paid to fly   WWII: Jamie – artist for Navy Marian – pilot for Air Transport Auxiliary in Britain Riat Bloom – pilot, Marian’s love interest   New Zealand – last 46 years of life: Becomes Martin Wallace, then Alice Root Visited by Caleb   The Sea, the Sky, the Birds Between: The Lost Logbook of Marian Graves – published by Matilda Feiffer – found 1958	Parents plane crashed into Lake Superior Mitch – uncle, raised Hadley   Roles: Katie McGee in “The Big-Time Life of Katie McGee” as a child and teen Marian Graces – “Peregrine”   Eddie Bloom – navigator on movie   Siobhan – agent   Oliver – living with Hadley, left after scandal Alexei Young – agent   Wings of Peregrine: A Novel – by Carol Feiffer Redwood Feiffer – wants to produce movie   Movie “Peregrine” Sir Hugo – agent, brought movie idea to Hadley Bart Olofsson - director
Others
Lloyd Feiffer – L & O Ship Lines, Addison saved his life as a child Matilda – funded Marian’s flight, 1948 bought publishing company, Sons – Henry, Clifford, Robert, Leander (died, age 6), George
Real aviators mentioned in novel – Jimmy Doolittle, Commander Richard Byrd, Amy Johnson, Elenor Smith, Amelia Earhart, Wiley Post, Amy Johnson and Jim Malison, Bill Lancaster

 

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from hardback edition.

1.      Did the inclusion of real aviators in the novel add to your understanding of Marian Graves and her desire for flight?

2.      Did the parts about the advances in flight add to you reading?  Did they help you understand Marian’s adventuress personality?  Would you have been as daring as Marian and the early pilots?

3.      As you were reading the two stories, which did you enjoy the most.   Did your reading experience change at any time throughout the novel?

4.      Did you like the organization of the book with Hadley interspersed with Marion but not on a regular basis?

5.      Why do you think Marion married Macqueen?  When he sent her Trout Marx and the plane, she thought it was a bargain and he thought it was a gift.  Was it really just a gift in his view?

6.      How and why did the Feiffer’s get involved with Marian’s story and publish her book? 

7.      There were multiple characters beyond those listed in the chart, such as the Ayukawa family and daughter Sally who ran away from an arranged marriage after Jamie painted her portrait.  How important were they to the story?  Did you have trouble keeping everyone straight?

 

 

 

8.      There were several times when the author had the characters muse about the meaning of life and other issues.   Some examples are page 500 when Adelaide said to Hadley, “It’s impossible to fully explain yourself while you are alive…” and “Art is distortion but a form of distortion that has the possibility of offering clarification…”  Also on pages 264-265, when Redwood asked Hadley where they were, she answered, “The Angels” and described it in a very long paragraph starting with “It’s wind chimes and helicopters…gongs, oms and whale songs…”  What did you think about these sections?

9.      A lot of reviewers thought this book could have been much shorter. If you agree, what would you have eliminated?

10. When you read the section early in the novel about Sitting-in-the-Water-Grizzly, what did you think?  How did this fit into the novel?

11. At the end of the book, who came to Joey’s porch on page 571?

12. Did you like the ending?   Why do you think Marian decided to disappear?

Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus

 

Characters
Elizabeth Zott (raped by advisor at UCLA) Calvin Evans – deceased Madeline - daughter Six-Thirty – dog   Zott family: Father – in jail, killed three people during a “miracle” Mother – in Brazil, no contact Brother – raised Elizabeth, suicide   Evans family: Avery Parker – biological mother, was told he died Adopted parents – killed in train wreck Aunt – killed in car crash   Harriet Sloan – neighbor and babysitter Husband – abusive   Mrs. Mudford – teacher   Amanda Pine – school with Madeline, Walter’s daughter   Franklin Roth – reporter for “Life”, article about Elizabeth rewritten   Reverand Wakely – pen pal with Calvin	Hastings Research Institute
	Calvin   Elizabeth   Miss Frisk – in Personnel, eventually the head (raped by advisor in school)   Donatti – head of lab, stole Elizabeth’s work and published under his name   Boryweitz – Elizabeth’s lab mate, co-authored with Donatti
	Supper at Six
	Phil Lebensmal – head of station   Walter Pine – director of show   Rosa -make-up   Seymour Browne – security   Mrs. George Ellis – audience, “Marjorie”

 

For Discussion:

1.      Would you have watched Supper at Six?

2.      Did or do you watch afternoon TV?  What were or are your favorite shows?

3.      Why do you think rowing was such an important part of the novel?

4.      Discuss the characters, including Six-Thirty.  They all were important to the story line.  What did they add?  Who did you particularly connect with?

5.      Why did station director, Lebensmal, suppress the popularity of the show?  Did you like what finally happened to him?

6.      Do you remember a time when women were known by their husband’s name?

7.      Mrs. Mudford assigned students to research and draw their family tree.  Do you think this would be assigned today?

8.      Did you understand why Elizabeth and Calvin never married?  Do you think they would have married if they knew about Madeline?

9.      Elizabeth blamed herself for Calvin’s death.  Did you understand her reasoning?

10. What were your favorite parts of the novel?

11. Why has this book been so popular?  How do you think different generations of women will read and understand the book?

The First Ladies, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

 

Eleanor Roosevelt	Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune
Franklin Delano Roosevelt – husband Children – Anna, Elliott, James “Brud”, John, Franklin Jr. (died as infant), Franklin Jr.   Sara Delano Roosevelt – mother-in-law	Albert Sr. – son Albert Jr. - grandson
Personal and Professional Life	Professional Life
Todhunter School for Girls – owner and teacher   Val-Kill Industries – reproduction and carpentry training   Val-Kill Cottage   Marion Dickerson and Nan Cook – friends, live at Val-Kill   Lorena Hickok “Hick”   Earl – Secret Service Agent   Newspaper column – “My Day”	Bethune-Cookman College – president   National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs – president   National Council of Negro Women, 1936   McLeod Hospital   Bethune Beach   Bethune Funeral Home - 1936 – run by Albert Sr.   National Youth Administration, Division of Negro Affairs – director, 1936   Walter White – NAACP executive secretary, could pass for white   Column in Pittsburgh Courier – “From Day to Day”
FDR
Lucy Mercer – affair with FDR   Lucy Mercer – Eleanor’s social secretary, affair with FDR   Missy LeHand – secretary   Louis Howe – friend and advisor, died 1936   Steve Woodburn – replaced Howe, worked against Eleanor (fictional – see page 373)

 

 

 

 

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from hardback edition.

1.       At the very beginning of the book, Mary was at a dress shop and a woman introduces herself to Mary as “Mrs. Wallace” but calls Mary by her first name.   Mrs. Wallace has no idea why this offends Mary and is insulted when Mary points this out.   Did this give you an idea of the difficulties and lack of respect Mary faced in general?

2.       Were you surprised at all of the unspoken rules about behavior between whites and blacks?  For example, they couldn’t touch (page 244) or eat together in public.  

3.       Have you ever heard of Mary Bethune before this book?  If not, why do you think that was the case? 

4.       In February 1935 there was an art exhibit, An Art Commentary of Lynching, in New York City.  Why did the artwork move people so much when mere words might not have?

5.       At one point, Eleanor Roosevelt told Walter White at the art exhibit, that “Inaction in the face of racism is acquiescence to it” (page 190).   Are there other areas where the same can be said – that doing nothing is the same as approval?

6.       Did this book give you any new insights into Eleanor?  Did you know Eleanor’s mother was so critical and demeaning to her growing up?  How did this form her as an adult?

7.       Franklin’s infidelity is common knowledge.  Did you know about Eleanor and Hick and the idea of a “Boston marriage?”

8.       When Mary attended the Gridiron Widow’s dinner, Eleanor said to her, “I hope you won’t be uncomfortable as the only Negro in the room” (page 258).  In fact, the room was full of Negro servers, but Eleanor had never paid attention to them.  Was this her fault or a commentary on the times?  Were there any other incidents that stuck out to you as you were reading?

9.       The two authors invented a lot of the information in the novel, which is billed as Historical Fiction.  They explained their thinking in the Historical Note at the end.   What did you think about their inventions?

10.   Do you think this story could just have effectively been written by a single white author?

11.   The blurb on the front of the book said that the book will “expand your perspective.”  Did it do so?