Someone Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Your Brain on Literature and our BookBrowse Review of Someone.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Why does the memory of Pegeen resonate so profoundly for Marie? Is there a similar story from your youth that has had a lasting effect on your life?
2. What does Marie's mother try to teach her about becoming a fulfilled woman? What exceptional qualities does Marie's father possess? How does their marriage shape Marie's vision of her future?
3. Discuss the novel's Brooklyn neighborhood as if it were a character. What are its most colorful attributes? How is it transformed over the years while Marie grows up? Do its inhabitants support one another, or is their gossip judgmental? Think about their speculation over the gender of Dora Ryan's spouse and Bill Corrigan's frailties.

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