Book Summary and Reviews of Days of Awe by Lauren Fox

Book Summary

Days of Awe is the story of a woman who, in the wake of her best friend's sudden death, must face the crisis in her marriage, the fury of her almost-teenage daughter, and the possibility of opening her cantankerous heart to someone new.

Only a year ago Isabel Moore was married, was the object of adoration for her ten-year-old daughter, and thought she knew everything about her wild, extravagant, beloved best friend, Josie. But in that one short year her husband moved out and rented his own apartment; her daughter grew into a moody insomniac; and Josie - impulsive, funny, secretive Josie - was killed behind the wheel in a single-car accident. As the relationships that long defined Isabel - wife, mother, daughter, best friend - change before her eyes, Isabel must try to understand who she really is.

Teeming with longing, grief, and occasional moments of wild, unexpected joy, Days of Awe is a daring, dazzling book - a luminous exploration of marriage, motherhood, and the often surprising shape of new love.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. This novel touches on multiple themes—friendship, marriage, loyalty and betrayal, parenting, responsibility, and blame. Which emerges as the most important? What larger points is the author making?
2. What does the title mean?
3. Before Josie's funeral, Mark tells Isabel that his wife's death is his fault. She thinks, "Of course it was his fault. And it was my fault, and possibly Chris's, and most definitely Josie's, and some other people's faults, too: we were all guilty, to varying degrees ..." (page 4) Why does Isabel believe this? How were they responsible?
4. Josie's death ripples through the relationships of her friends and family, whose lives change dramatically in the following year. How does one event set so ...