Landline (Rowell)

Discussion Questions
1. What would you do if you found a magic phone that called into the past? Who would you call? Is there something in your life you’d try to fix?

2. Do you think Georgie is supposed to use the phone to fix her marriage? Is her marriage broken?

3. Was it fair of Neal to take the girls to Omaha for Christmas without Georgie? Do you think his frustration with her was justified?

4. Do you blame Georgie for not going to Omaha with her family? For being so passionate about her career? Would you feel differently if the roles were reversed and it was Neal putting his career first?

5. Georgie doesn’t want to be home alone in her empty house while Neal and the girls are gone. How does being back in her childhood home with her mom, sister, and stepdad affect the way Georgie feels and behaves? How do each of these characters help her work through her feelings for Neal?

6. Georgie can never get in touch with Neal on his cell phone. Do you have people in your life who—even in this age of ubiquitous cell phones—never pick up their phone or answer their texts? Do you resend it? Or do you wish you could be more like them?

7. In many ways Seth is a better match for Georgie. Do you think they should have ended up together? What is it about Neal that attracts Georgie? What is it about Georgie that Neal falls in love with? Do you think they are a good match?

8. Was it wrong for Seth to tell Georgie he loves her? Or should he have kept that to himself? Do you believe him?

9. Why do you think Rainbow chose to include pugs in this novel? How does the pug scene in the laundry room relate to Georgie’s own life? Does that scene affect what Georgie does next?

10. Do you think Georgie regrets her career choices? Do you think women today are asked to make harder choices when it comes to family and their careers than men are?

11. Are you old enough to remember talking on a landline? Or a rotary phone? What memories did this book bring back? What’s different about talking on a landline compared to a cell phone? How is that reflected in the story?

12. This is how Georgie describes marriage and love: It’s more like you meet someone, and you fall in love, and you  hope that that person is the one—and then at some point, you have to put down your chips. You just have to make a commitment and hope that you’re right.Do you think she’s right? Do you think Rainbow agrees with Georgie?

13. Neal says of love, "Maybe there’s no such thing as enough." What does he mean? And do you agree?

14. If Georgie is right, Neal already took part in all of their phone calls as a younger man. How did that affect his understanding of their marriage?

15. What do you think happens at the end of the story? Does Georgie continue to work with Seth on her new show? What would you do? What does she owe Neal in this situation? What does she owe herself?

16. Does this book have a happy ending?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)

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