- How have expectations for women changed since the 1960s? Do you feel more or less is expected from mothers today? How have housekeeping expectations changed over the decades? Which expectations have remained the same?
- What are your thoughts on travel sports? Do you feel they enhance childhood? Make it more difficult? Why do you think travel sports are now so prevalent?
- What is your definition of balance? Do you think most families have balance in their lives? If not, why?
- Think about your own childhood. Compare it to the experience children have today. Do you think things are better or worse for kids today? Why?
- What is your neighborhood like? Is it a true community? Do people know their neighbors? Or is your sense of community based on something other than the place where you happen to live?
Have you ever thought about “dropping out”? If so, why? What prevents people from doing this, even if they find the concept attractive? - What did we learn from COVID? Were there any positive parts of that experience? What were the drawbacks?
- Is your impression of the 1960s different after reading this book? If you lived during the 1960s, is there anything from this era you’d like to see explored in more depth?
- Discuss the trad wife movement. Why do you think this lifestyle is appealing to some young women today?
- What do you think life will be like for women sixty years from now? Will it be better? Worse? Do you think advances in technology will make motherhood easier or harder in the future?
Christine is always happy to connect with readers by attending book club events, either remotely or live. Use this form to inquire about guest appearances.
Books Club Questions
Some ideas to fuel your discussions!
- Do you think society has unrealistic expectations for women in general and mothers in particular? If so, where do you think those expectations come from?
- At its core, this is a book about friendship. Do you feel it’s more or less difficult to make new friends as we become older?
- In what ways is making a new friend similar to or different from starting a new romantic relationship?
- Nikki and Ainsley both have supportive spouses, yet they still have a deep need for a close friend. What needs do friends fill in our lives that spouses or romantic partners do not?
- Can you think of any recent examples where girls or women were dismissed or not believed when they came forward with allegations of misconduct?
- Do you feel this book accurately portrays the challenges of modern parenthood? What’s accurate? What may be missing?
- Are you more like Nikki or Ainsley? What are the challenges of disorganization and what are the challenges of perfectionism? Which do you think is harder to overcome? At what point should we strive to change and “improve,” and at what point should we learn to accept ourselves as we are?
- What do you think of Ainsley’s secret? How would you feel if you had a similar secret? How would you or others would react if you found out a friend, colleague or fellow parent had a similar secret?
- This book discusses issues of class. Would be difficult for someone from a lower income background to “fit” in an upper middle-class environment? What are the challenges they might face? Do you feel you have contact with people from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds in your daily life? Or do you feel that our society is becoming increasingly stratified by class, income, and education level?
- Ainsley is happy at home with her children while Nikki feels trapped. How do their personalities, backgrounds, and occupations make the choice to work or stay home different for these two women? Do you feel women are judged for the decisions they make? Why?