October Suite Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

1. October legally changes her name when she is seventeen. She views her name change as a way of separating herself from her father and bringing herself closer to her mother. Do you think that names have as much significance as October attributes to them? Should October have heeded Aunt Frances's wishes and not changed her name?
   
   
2. The spirit of Carrie Cooper Brown--October and Vergie's dead mother--hovers over the novel, occasionally speaking directly to the reader, and adding another dimension to the story. At one point she makes an observation about grace and her daughters being open to it. What does it mean to be open to grace? Is October a religious woman? A spiritual woman? In what ways does October seem open to grace? How does it does it unfold in her life?
   
   
3. At another point Carrie marvels at the fact that October, her youngest daughter, has honored her memory in such a permanent way. But Carrie is not alone in her appreciation for being remembered. Do you find the desire to be remembered elsewhere in the story, and what, if anything, does this motif contribute to the story?
   
   

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Random House. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.