Book Club Questions

1. Early in the book, Beth dismisses the role of fate in determining the trajectory of our lives. By the end, she’s open to the idea. Do you believe in fate?
2. What would you do if you won the ‘life-adjusting’ amount of $264,412.51?
3. Do you ever think about reaching out to the ‘one who got away’ from your past? If so, what’s stopping you?
4. Growing up, Beth identified with Hermione Granger from Harry Potter and enjoyed seeing herself in a popular fictional character. Was there a fictional character who validated the way you felt about yourself growing up?
5. Beth enjoys the history and tradition of London, and appreciates the city’s uniformity and formality. Is there a place in the world that you feel suits your personality?
6. The phrase ‘birds of a feather flock together’ refers to the practice of seeking out like-minded people, as Beth did with Elise, and Elise did with Gerry. How important is it to surround yourself with like-minded people? Can doing so limit your personal growth?
7. In Chapter 24, Elise tells Gerry she felt like she was ‘touring this whole new world with a set of old visa conditions’. How do you think it’s been for older members of the LGBTQI+ community to adapt to progress and acceptance of their sexuality?
8. Elise holds a mirror to Beth with regards to her relationship with her family and with Nick. Who holds a mirror to you?
9. By the end of the book, Beth gets some clarity around her relationship with her family. Do you think Elise needed to die for this healing to occur?
10. Beth struggles with the decision to give some of her lotto winnings to Jarrah because she considers her financially irresponsible. What are your thoughts about giving gifts you know might be misused? Should you give them anyway? Is it different if the gift is money?
11. Beth can be quite rigid with her family and with others she encounters, but she is warm and empathetic with Elise and, later, with Nick. What is it about the way those two treat her that brings out this other side?