The Electric Woman Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, World of Wonders and our BookBrowse Review of The Electric Woman.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How did The Electric Woman change your perception of the human body and mind? In their simultaneous journeys, what do Teresa and Tessa show us about the nature of death-defying acts?
2. Tessa describes the anguish she experienced because of her parents' divorce and the differing truths her parents told her over the years. She also examines the "allergy" she developed to her mother's love. How does her relationship with her mother compare to your experience with your own parents? How does the love between parents and their children evolve over the course of a lifetime? What events—large or small—in the life of your family have significantly altered the way you relate to one another? What experiences have made you rethink the way your family works?
3. The longtime members of the World of Wonders describe how their audiences have changed; politically correct crowds now prefer to watch freak shows in the privacy of their homes. Is it wrong to find "human curiosities" entertaining? What is gained by watching live performances in general?

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