Then She Found Me (Lipman) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for Then She Found Me:

1. How would you describe Bernice Graverman? Does she have the right to intrude into April's life? Is she April's "mother?" What rights do biological mothers have with regards to their children?

2. Is April's life all that she thinks it is? As she herself puts it: "it's very satisfying to teach something no one cares about."

3. What does Bernice offer April? (Hint: think of the symbolic significance of April's name....)

4. How does the idea of "class" play out in this book; in other words, how are social distinctions presented?

5. Is Elinor Lipman too hard on Bernice in her parody of daytime talk television shows?

6. Ultimately, what does April come to learn about herself and her what it means to be connected to "family?"

7. Lipman writes with a good deal of humor. Point out passages that you find particularly funny. You might even talk about the uses of humor in dealing with what are potentially painful subjects.

8. Have you read any other Elinor Lipman books? If so, how does this compare? If not, are you inspired to read more of her works?

9. Watch selected scenes of the 2008 movie with Helen Hunt and compare them with the book. Does the film capture the essence and humor of the novel?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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