1. Micajah is a catalyst for Eve’s new adventures and, in the end, her independence. Do you think her transformation would have occurred if she had never met Micajah? How does Micajah’s interest in things beyond the mainstream inspire Eve?
2. Eve’s marriage has been less than rewarding for some time. Would you say that Larry has faced this truth before she does? Do you think Eve would have stayed in the marriage if Larry hadn’t left? Would you call Eve’s journey a midlife crisis? Are midlife crises inevitable? Might they be valuable?
3. Music is an integral part of the story. Do you see any parallels between Eve and the musical instrument she buys and has restored? Why does Micajah feel he would lose his soul if he continued on the rock star path?
4. Gardening and flowers are recurring images throughout the book. What do they represent, for you?
5. Barbara is the kind of woman Eve would like to be twenty-five years in the future. Does anyone in your life inspire you in a similar way?
6. Bethany’s attitudes to sex, intimacy, and relationships differ from Eve’s. Are these differences purely generational? Do you believe that Bethany uses the generation gap as a weapon? How do you think Bethany would behave if Eve were twenty-five?
7. A woman’s pleasure for pleasure’s sake has long been considered taboo in many cultures. And often, sex toys are designed as substitutes for a man. Would you describe Eve’s Flowers as sex toys? Should all pleasure lead to orgasm? Do you think Eve will be successful in commercially producing these products? Would you try one?
8. Do you think Eve and Micajah will meet again? Is there more for them to explore together?
9. Ultimately, Say My Name is a story about a woman finding independence and fulfillment alone. Do you agree with the author that this is a happy ending? Would this kind of ending have made sense to readers thirty, fifty, seventy years ago? Do you think the choice to be single is a happy ending particularly for women in midlife, or particularly in the times we live in? Do you think Eve will remain single always?