Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of After This.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
The questions and discussion topics that follow are designed to enhance your
reading of Alice McDermott's After This. We hope they will enrich your
experience as your book club explores this moving novel.Winner of the National
Book Award, Alice McDermott has captivated countless readers with her tender
portrayals of family life in America, from Irish-Catholic suburbia to the
beaches of Long Island and Manhattan's historic streets.
After This, her
sixth novel, takes us to the cultural transitions of the mid-twentieth
century—the span between World War II and Nixon, when a sexual revolution,
Vatican II, draft registration for the controversial Vietnam conflict, and other
headlines spelled upheaval for families across the nation.
Introduction
Bringing those cultural shifts vividly to life, McDermott introduces us to Mary
and John Keane, a middle-class couple raising four children as the country
arrives at historic crossroads. Michael and Annie test the boundaries of their
changing world, while the eldest and most cautious sibling, Jacob, is sent to
war. Young Clare proves to possess a worldliness that belies her innocent
sensitivity. Together, the Keanes navigate the clashes of a traditional life and
modern freedom. Portrayed by McDermott through a serious of seamless,
beautifully wrought vignettes, their story opens our hearts to new
understandings of fate and everyday mercy.
- Alice McDermott's writing style has been widely praised for its
evocative imagery and powerful use of understatement. How were you affected
by the quiet lines that told you of John's future death (pages 130–131) or
of Jacob's fate in Vietnam (page 199)? What everyday images best capture the
most emotional events of your life?
- The initial scenes in After This tell us that Mary dated her
brother's friend George before she married John, and that she had given in
to Mike Shea's advances at a party. How did these facts shape your
understanding of her as you read about her life? Before she was married,
what did Mary seem to believe her destiny was?
- Discuss the memory of the "baby grand." How would you describe Mary and
John's life at that point, before the birth of their children? What was Mary
discovering about her husband when they were newlyweds? How did the death of
his brother shape John?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of The Dial Press.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
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