For those of you that haven't or couldn't attend book club lately, we'll be publishing the previous months' discussion questions here. I hope eventually to post discussion questions for all of the books we've covered since I took over a couple of years ago and beyond, all the way to the beginning over a decade and a half ago. It will take a while. Until then, we will be posting discussion questions on a weekly basis. Here are the questions from a 2011 title, American Wife. We hope these questions spark discussions of your own.
American Wife
by Curtis Sittenfeld
Summary:
NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER • A gorgeously written novel that weaves class, wealth, race, and fate into a brilliant portrait of a first lady—from the author of Rodham and Eligible
“Terrific . . . an intelligent, bighearted novel about a controversial political dynasty.”—Entertainment Weekly
NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time • People • Entertainment Weekly
A kind, bookish only child born in the 1940s, Alice Lindgren has no idea that she will one day end up in the White House, married to the president. In her small Wisconsin hometown she learns the virtues of politeness, but a tragic accident when she is seventeen shatters her identity and changes the trajectory of her life. More than a decade later, when the charismatic son of a powerful Republican family sweeps her off her feet, she is surprised to find herself admitted into a world of privilege.
And when her husband unexpectedly becomes governor and then president, she discovers that she is married to a man she both loves and fundamentally disagrees with—and that her private beliefs increasingly run against her public persona. As her husband’s presidency enters its second term, Alice must confront contradictions years in the making and face questions nearly impossible to answer.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review • Chicago Tribune • NPR • Rocky Mountain News • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • The Washington Post Book World
Discussion Questions
The novel opens and closes with Alice wondering if she’s made terrible mistakes. Do you think she has? If so, what are they?
Alice’s grandmother passes down her love of reading to Alice. How else is Alice influenced by her grandmother?
What does reading provide for Alice throughout her life?
Why does Andrew remain such an important figure to Alice, even decades later? Do you think they would have ended up together under different circumstances?
To what do you attribute Dena’s anger at what she calls Alice’s betrayal? Do you believe her anger is justified?
Are there other issues influencing Dena's decision regarding their relationship?
Is Charlie a likable character? Can you understand Alice’s attraction to him?
What is your opinion regarding Alice's decision to stay with him despite the problems they encountered in their marriage? Why do you think she continues to love him even though in so many ways they are different?
Does Alice compromise herself and her ideals during her marriage, or does she realistically alter her behavior and expectations in order to preserve the most important relationship in her life? She tells him before they wed that she never wants to become a public figure. Do you think this has changed by the time he becomes president?
Alice states that she lives a life in opposition to itself. What does she mean by this statement, and do you agree with it?
Were you surprised by the scene between Alice and Joe at the Princeton reunion? Why do you think it happened?
What would you have done in Alice’s situation at the end of the novel? Do you think it was wrong of her to take the stance she did?
How do you think Laura Bush would react to this novel if she read it?
If you've read Sittenfeld's other books: How is this book different from Sittenfeld's previous two novels, other than its subject matter?
Discussion Questions adapted from publisher-provided questions and ReadingGroupGuides.com.
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