1. With which sister do you most identify?

2. How did you personally relate to Leah's passionate political views—particularly about feminism, Judaism, or Israel?

3. Would you have made the same choice as Shoshanna when she witnessed Rachel's husband cheating?

4. Discuss the relationships that each sister has with Judaism or Jewish tradition. What in each woman's history would explain their differences?

5. Discuss the impact of nature versus nurture as it relates to the three sisters.

6. Different aspects of the story correspond to relationships in the Old Testament. Explore the parallels and their significance.

7. What kind of relationship do you imagine Leah might have had with daughters?

8. Throughout most of the novel, Daniel (Shoshanna's husband) can be perceived as virtually flawless. When something negative in his character is revealed, how does it affect your view of him?

9. Years ago, when Sam made his fateful decision, did he do the right thing? Did he have any other options?

10. In the novel, secrets create family dysfunction. Has that been true in your experience? Can you think of a situation in which keeping a secret from someone you love would be acceptable or justifiable according to your values?

11. How do you assess each of the Wasserman daughters as a wife and mother? What about their relation to their work or interests?

12. All three Wasserman women are concerned with order—keeping life under control and staving off various kinds of chaos. Discuss how the search for order plays out in the lives of Shoshanna, Leah, and Rachel, or in your own life.