Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Trade Off by Samantha Greene Woodruff

1. What was your first impression of Bea Abramovitz? Did that impression change over the course of the novel?
2. How did the fact that Bea was a twin impact her journey? How did it impact Jake's?
3. How did her parents' immigration experience impact Bea's relationship to wealth and money? Jake's? How did that evolve throughout the story?
4. Early in the book, we learn about life on the Lower East Side. Was there anything about Bea's childhood home or life that surprised you?
5. Discuss the different ways in which the Abramovitz family responded to their shifting financial situation. How did it change each of them (Lew, Pauline, Bea, and Jake)?
6. Bea and Sophie have a unique friendship. Describe the role Sophie played in Bea's growth over the course of the novel.
7. How did Bea's newer friendships with Henny and Milly shape her along the way?
8. Do you think this book had a clear villain? If so, who?
9. The Trade Off takes place during the Roaring Twenties; how did the novel demonstrate the social and cultural expressions of excess that came with an ever-rising stock market?
10. Can you think of moments in more recent history where the country's economic state has influenced other aspects of the culture? When? What happened?
11. The Great Crash of 1929 is a well-documented historical event. Did you learn anything new about the crash? About the stock market in general?
12. In the author's note, Samantha Greene Woodruff says she wanted to write a story that explored the "complex morality of wealth." Did she accomplish her goal?
13. The world of banking was closed to women like Bea, yet she persevered. What would you have done in Bea's situation? Can you think of a moment when you've pushed forward against seemingly impossible odds?
14. Perseverance and trusting oneself are two prevalent themes in this novel. What other overarching ideas did you notice? What did you take away from the book overall?
15. What message(s) do you think the author wanted you to take away from this novel?
16. Do you see any similarities between the underlying themes in The Trade Off and in Woodruff's first novel, The Lobotomist's Wife?
17. Does The Trade Off remind you of any other books that you have read? In what ways?

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