Reading guide for Let's Not Do That Again by Grant Ginder

Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Nancy is running for Senate, and will stop at almost nothing to win. Is the world of the book's politics and the campaign trail reflective of today's political landscape? Does Nancy remind you of any one politician, or a combination of a few?
2. The book opens with Greta throwing a bottle of champagne through a French bistro's window, and it sets off a viral moment that Nancy and her campaign immediately have to grapple with. How does sexism play a role in the reception of Greta's actions? How does it color the public's view of Nancy?
3. "A good politician and a bad mother," she says, straightening out her blouse. "One out of two ain't bad." This is Nancy's reaction shortly after requesting Nick go get Greta from Paris. How does this speak to Nancy's priorities? How did this color your understanding of Nancy's relationship to Greta and Nick?
4. In Act 1, the reader learns about Greta's character from Nancy, Nick, and the news. Then the narrative shifts to Greta's perspective in Act 2. How did this change your opinion of Greta? How did this benefit the story?
5. How does each member of the Harrison family, regardless of age and stature, struggle with asserting their independence throughout the novel?
6. Why do you think Ginder took a story about an American campaign and gave it a global focus, with the inclusion of French politics and global political upheaval? What do you think he's trying to say about the world today?
7. Though the climax of the novel feels shocking, Ginder has said he followed Chekov's golden rule: if a gun is seen in Act 1, it has to go off in Act 2. What clues does Ginder sprinkle throughout the text that makes the ending feel inevitable?
8. Nick and Nancy are forced to make a life-altering decision in the book's dramatic conclusion, testing their loyalty and bond to family. How do you see Ginder using the Harrisons' story to tell a larger story of our contemporary US?
9. If you were casting Hello to All That!, who would you have play Joan Didion?

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