Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman

1. Despite their large age gap, Millie and Aideen have quite a lot in common. How are their circumstances and personalities similar? What makes them understand each other so well?
2. Although they all have various frustrations with one another, the Gogarty clan clearly love each other. What are some ways they demonstrate their affection, albeit in perhaps untraditional ways?
3. Each of the three narrators makes at least one big mistake over the course of the novel. Did you empathize with their decisions at all? How does author Rebecca Hardiman make Millie, Kevin, and Aideen sympathetic despite their mistakes?
4. Why do you think Aideen wants to be friends with the notorious Brigid? What draws them together?
5. Did you see the twist with Sylvia coming? What were some signs indicating Sylvia wasn't exactly who she said she was? Why do you think Millie was so willing to place her trust in her caretaker?
6. Were you surprised that Aideen goes back to Millburn? Do you think her parents were right in sending her to boarding school in the first place?
7. One theme throughout the novel is wanting the freedom to choose your own path in life. Despite their best efforts, Millie, Kevin, and Aideen often run into problems with being able to make their own choices. How does each character react to a lack of freedom?
8. There are many funny scenes in the novel, in addition to its humorous tone. Which moments made you laugh, and how did they make you feel about the characters?
9. In Chapter 15, Millie thinks to herself, "Millie Gogarty is a survivor, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland whose mother clutched her brown rations books doled out in wartime with the triumphant sense of rising to the occasion; she is a great believer in making do." Much of Good Eggs is about Millie learning to do more than "make do" and embrace life fully. Do any other characters need to learn this lesson too? If so, in what ways do they learn it?
10. We learn that Millie's baby daughter died in infancy. Do you think this explains any of Millie's character traits?
11. What do you think life will be like for the Gogarty family in one year? What will have changed, and what will be the same?
12. In what ways does the author evoke the Irish setting? How does it contrast with the scenes in Florida?
13. Do you think all the main characters in the novel are proverbial "good eggs?"

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