1. Katharine's situation might strike some readers as a dream come true: the chance to start one's life anew. Put yourself in Katharine's shoes for a moment. If you were to find yourself awakening as someone else tomorrow morning, what kind of person would you want to be?

2. At first Katharine has a hard time seeing her predicament as an opportunity. How does she eventually manage to use this "reincarnation" to her advantage? Do you think that, in the end, this mind/body switch was an enriching experience for Katharine?

3. At the heart of This Body is a constant struggle between the responsibilities of parenthood and the recklessness of youth. Did the novel instill in you a new appreciation for either youth or middle age?

4. Katharine was allowed to peek into the future--to see her husband with his new family. Would you want the opportunity to see how your family survived without you? Why?

5. We hear so much today about the importance of the mind/body connection. Does it seem even remotely possible that one person's mind could thrive within another person's body? Take Thisby's addiction as an example; Katharine initially dismisses it, but then falls prey to the physical cravings herself. What does this suggest about the mind/body connection? Have Katharines mind and Thisby's body made peace with each other by the end of the novel?

6. There are times when Katharine seems to enjoy being in Thisby's young, thin, attractive body--most notably during her sexual encounters. What do these encounters suggest about the mind/body connection?

7. Quince seems to accept the "new" Thisby with surprising ease. She is apparently so starved for a sister, any sister, that she doesn't even ask questions about the "new" Thisby's attitude and approach to life. What is the significance of this relationship? What do Katharine and Quince learn from each other?

8. In the course of the novel Katharine makes choices about what is right for herself, for her family, for Thisby, and for the Bennet family. Do you agree with Katharine's choices? Do you think she should have been more honest with the Bennets? Do you think that Thisby's parents had the right to know their daughter was dead?

9. The Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night's Dream figures prominently in the life of the Bennet family. How does Katharine use her knowledge of Shakespeare's play to better understand both the Bennet family and herself as a member of it?
Courtesy of Warner Books