1.In the opening scene of the novel, Meghann Dontess is talking to her therapist, but clearly Meghann has little or no interest in really addressing the pain in her past. Why does she see a psychiatrist? What does it say about her character that she spends time and money in pursuit of emotional well-being, but refuses to actually answer the questions posed by Dr. Bloom?
2. Meghann and Claire obviously grew up in a very dysfunctional home environment. Each has in large part fashioned a life based on the lessons learned from their inattentive/unloving mother. How are the sisters alike in their choices? How are they different?
3. In many ways, Between Sisters is a novel about the disappointments that come with love. As a hotshot divorce attorney, Meghann is particularly entwined with the daily aftermath of a love gone bad. She believes she is protecting her heart by steering clear of love, but is she? Or is she more damaged by her inability to love at all? In one scene, a client finally says to her, “What happened to you?”
Meghann answers that it requires emotional armor of a sort to do her job. Is that the truth, though? How is that question–what happened to you?–the centerpiece of the novel? The question that each character must ultimately face and answer.
4.Claire is obviously scarred by her mother’s neglect and abandonment. Why is Claire more able to rebound from these wounds? Does she blame Meghann for leaving her in the first place or for never really coming back? Did Meghann make the right decision all those years ago? Would you have done the same thing in that situation?
5. Meghann is a deeply flawed and wounded character. Would she agree with this assessment? If not, why not? And if her flaws are a product of an unhappy childhood, why is Claire so different? How much do the Bluesers contribute to Claire’s happiness with her own life? Discuss the pivotal role of female friendship in our lives. Do you think it becomes even more important as we get older?
Great questions.. Will post soon.. Hoping for some sleep tonight then I will be ready to answer:)
ReplyDelete1. I'd say Meghann was seeing a psychiatrist for the same reason I spent too much money on potty training prizes. At one point, I felt like I was paying money for the issue to just go away.
ReplyDelete3. Maybe she was holding on to her job so rigidly and also keeping love at bay because she knew her own vulnerabilities. She ended up changing so much, softening quite a bit, and of course that didn't mesh with her job.
Re: "what happened to you?" - Aren't we all the sum of our experiences? Nobody is as perfect as we might think, etc. Everyone has a deeper story.
4. Claire rebounded because she had Meghann as a role model and protector. I think Claire misses her sister very much. I don't really fully understand what caused Meghann to leave... I see how it could be a hard situation to be in and that she fell in with the wrong crowd, but it seemed that it could have been so different with the dad and her. I would like to think that I would never leave my sister.
5. Female friendship becomes important at times of change or crisis especially. I don't know if it's a matter of age. I know that I relied on girlfriends when a college boyfriend broke my young heart, while getting married, and especially now that Hannah's in the picture.
1. She sees a psychiatrist because it's her security blanket. Like she said, she tried to quit but kept going back. And I think it's hope too- when you are actively "working" on your problems, there's always hope they could be solved.
ReplyDelete2. THey are alike in that they both push love away and don't fully understand or trust functional relationships.
3. I think M's success in her job is a result of her personal experiences but also adds to the problem. How can you trust love when you are constantly around it failing?
4. Female friendships are crucial in happy times and hard times. I would be such a mess right now without the support of my friends. Claire certainly was lucky she had the support of lifelong friends.