1. Knowing what you know about the evolution of Ellis, what would have happened to him had he lived?

2. Chance plays a large role in the novel. Does Geena's serendipitous reunion with her husband cross the line between believable chance and artistic contrivance?

3. Is Judith a protagonist or an antagonist?

4. During the novel Geena moves out from a cloud of grief to a clarity of living. What were key moments that pulled her back into reality?

5. In the course of the novel, Geena does some very unscrupulous, mean things, such as using Ellis' credit card for expensive pedicures. Could you, would you have done the same thing in the same situation? How did she justify such behaviors? How aware was she of her actions? And did this awareness change over the course of the novel?

6. How does Geena deal with grief over her son's death? At times she uses humor, other times anger, at other times conspicuous consumption. How and why would retail therapy help Geena? How does it help you?

7. The author has described this as "a love story of sorts." If that's true, who are the characters in love?

8. How did Ellis' relationship with his mother influence his dealings with other women?

9. A sub-title for the novel could be, "A Tale of Identity Theft." Besides the obvious credit-card scam, what are some other examples in the novel of one person stealing or borrowing another person's identity?

10. After a lifetime of little change, Ellis begins to grow for the first time in his life. Discuss the women in his life and the roles they played in enabling him to grow.

11. What did Geena get from Safe-T-Man? Should every woman have a Safe-T-Man?