The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Books About Choosing (or Not Choosing) Motherhood and our BookBrowse Review of The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano takes up the question of whether to have children—with Rose insisting that it should be a question, even though people assume it is a given for women. How does this assumption affect a woman's identity? Have you always assumed that you would have children?
2. Rose and Luke's marriage hinges on a fight that repeats about something relatively small— vitamins. Why do you think the author chose a fight like this one to be the turning point in this marriage for everything that happens next? Have you ever had a fight like this with a partner?
3. Rose and Luke agreed before they got married to not have children. Is it unfair to Rose that Luke changed his mind? Or is it understandable—and forgivable—for a partner to change his or her mind about something as important as a baby?

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