Now That You Mention It (Higgins) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, please use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for Now That You Mention It … then take off on your own:

1. How would you describe Nora Stuart? Why is she dissatisfied with her life, a life that would be the envy of many? She has it all, doesn't she?

2. Follow-up to Question 1: How has Nora's upbringing on Scupper Island shaped her life? In what ways is the past (and its people) still a part of her life — even though she'd rather not admit it?

3. As the novel progresses and our knowledge of Nora deepens, what stands out about her most to you? What do you find especially striking about her personality — the way she relates to the world around her?

4. What is Nora's relationship with her mother and with her sister Lily? Describe both women.

5. What about the other characters: Nora's niece Poe, Sully and Audrey, and her school pal Xiaowen? Whom do you like most?

6. Talk about the community's reaction to Nora's return. Why do the islanders dislike, or at least resent, her? Should Nora feel guilty for winning the scholarship and for Luke Fletcher's subsequent downward spiral? Or is guilt a normal human response?

7. Did the book make you laugh? The dinner party on the houseboat, for instance? Or the ham dinner at Nora's mother's house? The witty banter back and forth between characters? Maybe Nora's internal monologues? Does "Oh fuckety fucking McFuckster" qualify? Anything else?

8. How does Nora change during the course novel? How does she eventually make peace with her family, her past, and her own identity? What does she learn?

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

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