Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The House on Fripp Island by Rebecca Kauffman

1. What is wrong with the Lisa and Scott Daly's marriage? How does their relationship compare to Poppy and John Ford's?
2. Talk about the role that class plays in this novel—a well-off couple hosting a not-so-well-off family. How do the differences in wealth drive the story?
3. Why does Rebecca Kauffman open her novel with the ghost of a member of one of the families? What is accomplished by "giving away" the ending? Why not just tell the story chronologically?
4. Of the 10 characters in this novel, which ones do you care for most, identify with, or… perhaps dislike?
5. How do Lisa's insecurities affect her daughter's behavior?
6. Everything seems normal at first, relaxed and untroubled, but the normality is not to last. What are the initial signs of unraveling?
7. All the characters hold some sort of secret or inner feelings of jealousy, resentment, suspicion. Dissect the emotional turmoil of the characters.
8. Poppy makes references to the income disparity?
   
   It bothered Lisa that people without money seemed to think they could squawk on and on about people with money, all the ways their lives seemed so different and strange, whereas Lisa would never dream of breathing a word about their lives or homes.
   
   Is Lisa justified in her irritation? Is it possible for two childhood friends to maintain a close childhood relationship when one "marries up," creating a distinct class separation?
9. Were you surprised, even shocked, by the final revelation, the twist at the end?
10. What are your thoughts about the book's epilogue set years later? What does it add to the story?

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