The Ten Year Affair Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Redefining Adultery: Contemporary Novels of Marriages and Affairs and our BookBrowse Review of The Ten Year Affair.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Cora's romantic expectations of her affair with Sam—affected, surely, by the fantastical love stories we all know well—more than fall flat. As you read, did you find yourself longing for the same narrative satisfaction that Cora desires? How did the frustration of life's awkward and mundane realities impact your reading experience?
2. Most of the characters we meet in this nameless mountain town are New York City transplants who, despite their undeniable similarities, seem intent on distinguishing themselves from one another. How does the dissonance between individuality and the quest for community reveal itself in the book?
3. The all-consuming nature of a dearly coveted fantasy raises questions about where the line between imagination and reality is actually drawn. Is Cora only morally responsible for her affair with Sam once it becomes physical?

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