Reading Group Discussion Points
- Discuss the novel’s varying depictions of marriage. What kinds of relationships seem most likely to fail or succeed? Ultimately, do you think marriage is seen as positive or negative in the story?
- Meg calls Gigi’s decision to leave ‘selfish’. Do you think this is fair to Gigi?
- How do the romantic relationships in the novel relate to the ones between women? Do you think Tess and Gigi could have made the decisions they did without the support of their friends and each other?
- Motherhood is a key theme in the novel. Discuss the complexities of Tess and Donna’s relationship, and how it changes over the course of the story.
- Do you think we are destined to repeat the mistakes of our parents, or not? How do you think Tess’s parenting style might be influenced by the role models of Iris, Donna and Gigi?
- How did your feelings towards Richard change over the course of the story? Did you feel sympathy towards him – and did you think Gigi should go back to him, or not?
- Secrets are another key theme of the novel. Consider the effect that keeping or sharing these secrets has on the characters.
- The difficulties of seeing a loved one suffer from dementia are an important part of the story. Do you think the message is ultimately that we should learn more about our loved ones before it’s too late – or that no matter what, we’ll always feel robbed of time?
- What parallels can you see between Iris’s relationships as a young woman, and Tess’s? What roles do Wilf and Olly play in their lives?
- Do you agree with Wilf’s entreaty to Iris – that ‘love is the simplest thing in the world’? How do the relationships in the novel support or contradict this statement?