Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

Discuss the setting of the book in Freesia Court, suburban Minneapolis, and the cultural background of the passing decades. How does the setting impact or reflect in the lives of the characters? In what ways do the characters respond to their culture and setting? Why does Lorna Landvik make the choices she does about what historical details to include and what to leave out?

Consider the role that the book club plays in each member’s life. You may, if you wish, extend this discussion to consider how the women relate to the different books. How is this investment in the club a reflection of the women’s individual personalities? What might Landvik be saying about the power of a book club as a social group and/or an intellectual outlet? What larger point may she be making about the power of literature?

Evaluate the use of humor, irony, and satire in the book. Discuss why Landvik might have made some of the choices she did. What role does humor play in the book overall, especially in light of the more somber or distressing moments?

Discuss the roles of secrets in the book as both plot device and theme. What is similar about the secrets each woman keeps, and what is different? What argument can be made about—or for—keeping secrets, as opposed to the virtues of honesty?

Compare the character arc or emotional journey of each (or a selected few) of the protagonists. In what ways are the women’s character arcs similar? In what ways do the women spur or support one another’s growth? What argument might the book be making about the value, or power, of female friendships more generally?

Discuss the role of the male characters in the book as contrast, foil, antagonist, or support characters. How do the women’s relationships with men different from the relationships they have with one another, and what might that mean?

Choose a subplot or secondary character in the book—Grant, Beau, Fred, or Davey, for instance—and discuss how their character arc or choices reflect on the larger messages of love, acceptance, loyalty, friendship, or triumph over adversity.

Reflect on what the book has to say, ultimately, about the passage of time and change. Does the book communicate any particular life philosophy? Use textual examples as support.