1. Why do Evelyn and Helene take such an immediate dislike to one another? How do you think their rivalry suggests deeper aspects of each one’s character?

2. Do you feel that the women change over the course of the novel? How? Can you pinpoint moments in the novel when their attitudes shift?

3. What does the novel have to say about the lives of women at different points during the 20th century?

4. Does Ruth’s story suggest a different way in which women began to think about their lives and identities and possibilities? Contrast Evelyn and Helene’s developing sense of self with Ruth’s.

5. Why is Helene so threatened by Ruth? What does Ruth’s life have to say about the ways in which Helene accepted certain limitations in ways that Ruth does not?

6. The novel touches on different attitudes toward psychiatry and psychological awareness over time. Discuss how Evelyn and Ruth handled the loss of a husband and father versus how Francie’s psychological issues are handled.

7. What is the nature of female friendship as we age?

8. What does the title of the novel mean to you?