Readers' Guide for Book Clubs
Friends for a Season
When Helena takes a nasty tumble, she realizes that the time has come to relocate to independent living. Depressed, she assumes her life is over until she volunteers as a patient advocate and meets Zak, a college freshman struggling with his own life issues. An intergenerational friendship deepens as Helena and Zak both go on a journey of self-discovery, buoyed by the bond they share.
Discussion Questions
- Helena has a special relationship with her mother. Is that relationship real? Or is it a figment of Helena’s imagination? Do you believe she’s truly psychic? Or is this about the onset of dementia? What about her children? They don’t make an appearance in the novel. Are they real, or has Helena made them up?
- Throughout the novel there is reference to Helena’s past career. She frequently struggles with her views on motherhood. How would you describe the conflict? Is it a conflict that you’ve experienced in your life?
- Zak is a gay teen who has lost connection with his parents. Are you aware of other gay teens that have tense family relationships because of coming out? How has that disclosure added stress to Zak’s life? Enhanced Zak’s life? How would you react if your teenager came out to you?
- Helena and Zak are at very different stages of life. Are there commonalities in their journey? Do you believe that different generations are aware of such commonalities?
- Zak struggles with his hearing. Helena struggles with dizziness. Do you believe there are lessons to be learned from physical challenges or are these simply life’s reward for being alive?
- We never come to know the origin of Helena’s dizziness. Do you believe an older person’s health concern might be too quickly dismissed by physicians? Or is Helena’s dizziness just a function of aging?
- Helena rediscovers her love for writing. Do you think having a hobby or advocation as you grow older keeps you vital?
- Were you surprised that Zak comes to Helena’s aid when she needs him? Do you see evidence in your life of intergenerational friendships? Are their things that seniors can teach younger people? Are there things that the youth can teach seniors? Is wisdom truly ageless and worth sharing?
- Helena makes her decision to relocate to Ventana because it’s adjacent to the Arizona State University and is an experimental model in active aging. When is the right time to think about relocating to independent living? Would it be important to you to be at an integrated model like Ventana? Or would you prefer to stay in your own home? Does it make a difference if you are single?
- The story is set in Tempe, Arizona. Have you ever been to Tempe? Is it someplace that you might visit?
- Did you find Friends for a Season to be entertaining? Were there moments of recognition, where you shared a similar thought or experience with one of the characters or situations?
Boca by Moonlight
George, a widower living on the grounds of the Boca Raton Resort & Club, attends his golf buddy’s funeral where the family has failed to show and the check to the mortuary has bounced. George is commandeered to cover the expenses even as he struggles with his late wife’s medical bills and his mounting credit card debt. In an effort to get repaid by the estate, George learns he’s living on the edge of his friendships. Merely skating on the surface. What can George learn about his late friend’s life so that he doesn’t repeat the same mistakes?
Discussion Questions
- George portrays a certain exterior façade to the world. How does George’s exterior differ from his emotional interior? Is George aware of the conflict? Are there examples in the novel that highlight that differing perspective?
- What about George’s experience resonated with you? Are you aware of other widowers who are struggling after losing their wives? What specifically does George seem to be struggling with? What about Herbie and Benny? How are their struggles similar?
- George is dependent on his wife to navigate the relationship with his children. How would you describe George’s relationship with his children? Is there an expectation today that men are more involved in rearing children? Is that a generational shift?
- George’s two buddies, Herbie and Benny, have failed marriages. What insight do these two characters bring to the story? How do you think their experiences shape George’s perspective?
- When Willy’s family fails to show at the funeral, George and his buddies are forced to cover the expenses. They then start the process of trying to find the executor of the estate. Have you ever been to a funeral where family members failed to show? What were some of the reasons? Have you ever been involved with working through an estate? Or searching for an executor?
- George comes to see his deceased wife as the glue that has connected him with his children. What were your thoughts on that circumstance? How is the maternal instinct different than the paternal instinct? What does a father bring to the relationship with a child that is different than a mother?
- The author introduces a series of characters as George goes on the journey to find the executor. Many of the relationships are with the opposite sex. Some are intimate; others casual. How did you react to the couplings? Is it different for men vs. women?
- Eleanor is a complicated character. Describe her strengths and weaknesses. Do you see her as a good match for George?
Sylvia brings an element of buzz to the story. How would you describe her role in moving the plot along? Do you see her as a good match for George? How would you describe her friendship with Eleanor? Do you recognize that “kind” of friendship? - The story is set in Boca Raton, Florida. Have you ever been there? What kind of reputation does the city have among your friends? Is it someplace that you might visit?
- George ultimately comes to a decision about his life and opts for a new way forward. Why do you think George has decided to reach out to Carole?
- Did you find Boca by Moonlight to be entertaining? Were there moments of recognition, where you shared a similar thought or experience with one of the characters or situations?
What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream?
Brad’s latest book is here! A witty and insightful commentary on everyday life which he has shared with readers since the creation of his blog: There, I Said It! Learn why there’s always a fly in the deli. Why you and your spouse keep walking into each other. If the people on Facebook are really your friends. These are among the many topics Brad has covered over the years. You’re bound to recognize your own life in the over seventy humorous essays that comprise What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream?
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the author named the book: What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream? Is there more than one meaning for the title?
- There are over 70 essays on modern life in the collection? Which piece was your favorite? How did it relate to you and your life experiences?
- Brad is a big fan of Erma Bombeck and Dick Cavett. Were there any essays in the collection that offered a nod to these two wits?
- Were all the pieces funny? Which pieces did you think were poignant? Which pieces sad?
- Did the collection provide you with a better understanding of the author’s point-of-view? His life? What he writes about?
- After reading the collection, are you curious about the author’s contemporary fiction? How his perspective on life plays out in his characters?
- Did you enjoy learning about the author’s life through the collection? Did you discover a connection with the author that surprised you?
- Most authors are shy and reserved. Did What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream? offer a unique perspective on an author’s life? How so?
- Were there other topics had you hoped the author might cover in the collection? Specifically, which other topics were you hoping to see?
- Did you find What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream? to be entertaining? Were there moments of recognition, where you shared a similar thought or experience with the author?
After the Fall
Rikki has a secret. She can’t remember her mother who died a few years earlier. Being raised by her grandmother in Queens, every time she asks Rita a question, the older woman refuses to discuss the matter. Desperate to learn the truth, Rikki finds a hidden album with family photographs. Who is the boy in the picture with her mother? Determined to unlock the mystery, she embarks on a journey from New York City to Toledo, then on to Detroit and Phoenix to meet Harry, a writer who is struggling with his own issues of identity.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the author named the novel, After the Fall? Is there more than one meaning for the title?
- The novel is set in the year 2005. What were the clues offered that confirmed the novel’s time and place?
- Rikki and Rita have a challenging relationship. How would you describe that relationship? Is the tension due to an age gap? Or is there more going on? Did you believe that Rita loved her granddaughter? Were you able to parse her words from her actions?
- Three other characters present in the novel fairly early on. Barbra, Rikki’s friend, Barney, her romantic interest, and Mr. Rosenfeld, her English teacher. How did each character impact Rikki? What did each character have in common? Did either of those characters remind you of your teenage years?
- The author references Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy in the novel. Why do you think he picked that particular novel?
- When we first meet Harry, he’s walking Beetle and runs into Lil. How would you describe Harry’s personality? There seems to be a push/pull going on between these two characters. Did it make you curious as to where the relationship might be heading?
- Rikki goes on a journey from NYC to Michigan, and then on to Phoenix. At what point in the book did you make the connection between the two stories? Were there any clues that triggered the connection for you?
- Sammy and Evelyn appear at the midway point of the novel. What was similar about those two characters? How did they fit into the author’s message?
- There are two characters in the novel that are no longer alive. Did you find yourself captured by their stories? Were you surprised about their fates?
- The author refers to bisexuality as being “more about the person” than the “genitalia”. What did you think of that explanation?
- At the end of the novel, Rita reveals her true intent. Was there anything in this character’s backstory which made that reveal resonate for you?
- Were you surprised by the end of the novel?
- Of all the characters, which was your favorite? Why?
- If After the Fall were to be cast as a movie, which actors would you envision to play the various roles?
Brad’s Award-winning Novel: The Intersect
Set against Arizona’s political and cultural climate of 2010, The Intersect weaves together the lives of disparate characters striving to survive in a world where the strongest link, and most lasting connection, is made among strangers.
When Dave Greenway and Charlie Huff move to Phoenix for Dave’s new job, cracks appear in the relationship as Dave struggles with his career decision and Charlie presses to buy a new house. Nearby, Daisy Ellen Lee, a spry septuagenarian, breaks her hip. Isolated from family, and with no real friends, she discovers that navigating the healthcare system alone is a daunting experience. Across town, Anna Garrett, a psychic, prefers channeling the dead to dealing with the living. She hires Ernie Gonzalez, a local handyman, to help install security lights. Ernie’s known since childhood that he was brought into the United States illegally from Mexico, yet in his heart, he believes himself to be an American. Henry is a teenager living on the streets, kicked out of his home when he reveals to his parents that he’s gay. He’s turned to petty crime to get by. Bonnie Devlon is the physical therapist who works with Daisy. Bonnie has a past littered with one-night stands. She’s loving, but doesn’t trust that she can be loved. Jack and Enid Lee are recent retirees from Michigan and relatives of Daisy’s. Upon learning about Daisy’s circumstances, they intercede to manage her financial affairs.
Quickly the story unfolds, as characters meet, secrets are revealed, and lives are changed.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think the author named the novel The Intersect?
- Were you surprised by the turn in Charlie and Dave’s relationship? What clues did the author provide along the way? What challenges do you think couples face as they go through a major life change? Do you think these stresses are experienced differently by gay and straight couples?
- How did Charlie and Dave’s personality traits contribute to their relationship issues? Did you find it enlightening to have a glimpse into a gay relationship? Was there anything about that relationship which surprised you?
- When Daisy breaks a hip, she finds herself struggling, afraid of becoming a permanent resident of the long-term care facility. What key factors seem to make Daisy most vulnerable? How have her choices led to her present circumstance? How does she overcome these choices? Are there seniors living in your community who might be at-risk for Daisy’s experience? Are you aware of support services that reach out to isolated seniors?
- Jack and Enid are new to Arizona. How are the tensions in their marriage manifested in their relationship? Are these tensions the same for Charlie and Dave? What is the difference between these two couples and how they approach life together?
- Jack struggles to see clearly what is happening to Daisy. How does this parallel his own life struggles? How does his experience of Enid, Daisy, and Bonnie, move his character along an arc of growth? Is Jack a victim or merely unenlightened?
- Bonnie has a pattern of failed relationships. What characteristics does she possess that explain her inability to connect? Do you think she’s like many women in their late-thirties who remain unmarried and career-driven? What will it take to get Bonnie to make a commitment to a man?
- Anna opens her heart to Henry, yet later in the novel, remains in Mexico with Ernie. Do you think she’s abandoned Henry? How can you explain this conflict in her character? Why does she remain unaware of Henry’s challenges?
- Did you feel empathy for Ernie? There are clues throughout the novel about Ernie and his background. Did you catch them? Were you surprised by the final twist? What do you think the author was trying to say about undocumented immigrants who are raised in the United States?
- The author shares the backstory on many of the characters in the novel. Whose backstory did you find the most compelling? Enid’s childhood? Ernie’s childhood? Daisy’s childhood? Jack’s childhood? How did those childhoods contribute to each character’s experience as an adult?
- Henry struggles with his identity. Have you known a family that has trouble accepting their gay child? What about Henry’s struggle keeps him from sharing with Anna? What is it about Henry that makes him particularly vulnerable?
- At the end of the novel, Charlie and Dave’s dynamic changes. Do you think it takes a trauma before we shift how we think about the direction of our own lives?
- Which character most closely touched your heart? Which character reminded you of someone in your own life? Which character would you have liked to learn more about?
- The novel is set in Phoenix. What was your impression of Arizona before reading the book? Has that impression changed? Has the book made you want to visit Phoenix and see the Biltmore?