- Dana’s husband tells her that the divorce is his “best chance for happiness.” What does this statement say about him? What is Dana’s best chance for happiness?
- Throughout the book, Dana struggles to allow herself to feel anger. Is this emotion productive for her, and if so, how?
- Sometimes Dana learns about herself through her children’s observations. How do her children perceive her and how are their insights helpful to her?
- In times of stress, Dana turns to food to comfort herself. How might her behaviors have directly or indirectly influenced Morgan?
- For Grady, his dad’s golf ball is a precious gift. What does it represent and how does it comfort him?
- There are many parallels between Dana’s social life and her daughter Morgan’s middle school lunchroom as they jockey for position among the seemingly popular, more powerful people. How do the Kimmis and Noras of the world shape who we are?
- Dana must eventually confront the unspoken truth of her past and what really happened to her father. How has this event affected her and her sister? How are they similar or different as a result?
- Dana eventually begins to regain her sympathies for her ex-husband, even as she continues to cope with her own disappointment and anger. Why does she start to see his point of view, and how does this change her behavior?
- As Dana’s relationship with Tony blossoms, it becomes clear that he is giving her something that she doesn’t get from other people in her life. What is this quality, and how does it bring out the best in her?
- By the end of the book, Dana’s life has changed significantly. How is it different and which of these changes surprised you?