58 pages • 1 hour read
Someone Else's Shoes
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of gender discrimination.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. How did you feel about the “switching lives” conceit of the book? Have you read other works that employ this narrative—e.g., Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper?
2. Discuss Moyes's blend of humor and emotional depth. Which parts of the story did you find humorous or poignant? Are you interested in reading more by Moyes—e.g., Me Before You or The Giver of Stars?
3. Reflect on the contrasts between Sam and Nisha’s lives. Which character did you feel more drawn to and why?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Have you ever experienced a minor mix-up or coincidence that significantly changed your life? How did it reshape your perspective or direction?
2. Reflect on the novel’s exploration of the importance of friendship and support systems. Who has been your biggest supporter in life, and how have they positively impacted your journey?
3. Consider a time when your initial impressions of a person changed significantly after getting to know them better. What are your initial impressions usually based on? What factors cause you to revise your opinion?
4. What does it mean to you to “step into someone else’s shoes?”
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. Discuss the novel’s exploration of the cultural and societal expectations placed on women when it comes to balancing work, familial obligations, and identity.
2. Analyze the story’s message about social class. How does the novel serve as a critique of the privileges associated with wealth and status?
3. Discuss the pitfalls of workplace culture exposed in the novel, particularly as they involve sexism, ageism, and burnout. What solutions to these problems might exist?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. Analyze the author’s use of coincidence. How does this conceit highlight the novel’s exploration of fate versus free will?
2. Trace how Sam and Nisha’s character arcs contrast and parallel at different points in the story.
3. Consider the role one of the minor characters, such as Andrea, Jasmine, or Phil, plays in Sam and Nisha’s journeys.
4. How does the modern-day London setting emphasize the contrasting lives of Sam and Nisha?
5. Analyze the role of shoes as both a plot device and as a symbol of the novel’s more prominent themes.
6. Discuss the novel’s exploration of appearance versus reality. How does this tie into the theme of female relationships?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. If you could trade lives with someone for a day, whom would you choose, and why?
2. Imagine you could design a pair of shoes for Nisha and Sam that represents their character growth by the novel’s end. What would the shoes look like, and what symbolic elements would you include?
Need more inspiration for your next meeting? Browse all of our Book Club Resources.
Unlock all 58 pages of this Study GuidePlus, gain access to 8,800+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
Related Titles
By Jojo Moyes
