Absolution Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Protesting Operation Alert and our BookBrowse Review of Absolution.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. "Be a helpmeet to your husband. Be the jewel in his crown." (5) From sparkling conversations at garden parties to managing children, staff, and the day-to-day, what expectations land on a helpmeet? Why was Jackie Kennedy an attractive role model?
2. How does future and sometimes impending motherhood charm, delight, worry, and preoccupy Patricia? What interactions does she have with other children, and in what ways are they emotional for her?
3. Describe Peter and Patricia's love story—how did they meet, and how did their marriage evolve? What does she mean by "I told Peter's story, which was my own, and felt, what else to call it but patriotic pride" (32)?

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.