For sports detail, I relied on Kristi Dosh and Kevin Adler, whose passion for and encyclopedic knowledge of sports came in especially handy this time out.
For legal, I turned to Max Ruthenberg-Marshall, founding attorney at Porchlight. Mike Madsen and Realtor Andi Stein fielded questions about mortgages and real estate.
Thanks also go to:
Nick Adams, EMS division chief at Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services, for answering all my questions and for not being shocked at the details that made me blush.
Veronica Wilder, who inspired the character Jazmine Miller, who became so much more than I’d originally imagined.
Angela and Perley McBride and family and Nancy Flaherty, who made generous donations to Curing Kids Cancer, which put their names in this novel. And to Bonnie Traiman, who lent her name in support of the St. Pete Beach Library.
Close friends Dana Barrett and Annell Gerson, for allowing me to borrow their names and meld them into one fabulous character. And a great big shout-out to all the book clubs that shared their group names for this story.
READERS GUIDE
The
Break-Up
Book Club
Wendy Wax
Discussion Questions
Have you ever been part of a book club? What is your favorite part of book club? (Did someone say wine? ☺) Have you read books you wouldn’t normally have tried if not for the group? What’s your favorite book you read with the book club? Do you tend to read more fiction or nonfiction?
Jazmine, Erin, Sara, and Judith are very different and yet they become friends through book club. What do you think draws them together despite their varied ages and backgrounds? Have you made unexpected friends through your book club or at another time in your life?
At the beginning of the book, Erin, Sara, and Judith all experience a major upheaval in their lives. What are the similarities and differences in how they all handle their altered circumstances? Did you identify with one woman more than the others? Which character, and why?
Sara and her mother-in-law don’t get along at the beginning of the novel. What draws them together? How do both of their perspectives change throughout the book?
Judith struggles to figure out what to do with her life. Has there been a time in your life when you were unsure of your next step? Were you scared, excited, or a combination of both? What helped you make a plan for your future?
Jazmine’s sister wants her to get married, but Jazmine isn’t very interested in dating. She’s happy on her own. Do you think women still feel more societal pressure to get married than men?
Erin views Jazmine as a professional mentor, a role Jazmine embraces. How does Jazmine help Erin? What lessons do you think Erin learns from Jazmine? Do you think it’s important for women to support one another personally and professionally? Is there a woman you admire, someone who has helped you navigate difficult times?
Sara’s mother-in-law tries online dating. Jazmine starts dating at her sister’s encouragement. How are their attitudes toward dating different and similar? What factors contribute to these attitudes? How do you think dating differs in your twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties? What do you feel is the best way to date—online, setups from friends and family, or other possibilities? If you’re in a long-term relationship, how did you meet your partner?
What’s your favorite book, and why? What was your favorite book club name mentioned in the book? Which character did you most identify with, and why?
Photo by Beth Kelly
Wendy Wax, a former broadcaster, is the author of sixteen novels and two novellas, including My Ex–Best Friend’s Wedding, Best Beach Ever, One Good Thing, Sunshine Beach, A Week at the Lake, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey, The House on Mermaid Point, Ocean Beach, and Ten Beach Road. The mother of two grown sons, she has left the suburbs of Atlanta for an in-town high-rise that is eerily similar to the fictional one she created in her 2013 release While We Were Watching Downton Abbey.
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