Sorrow and Bliss

The sense of isolation Martha feels is partially due to her illness, but she also gradually accepts the effect of her own actions as well. What is the role of agency in the novel? How do different characters learn to exercise agency, or fail to do so?

Compare Ingrid and Winsome’s characters. What are the similarities they share, and how are they different? What patterns seem to repeat in each of their lives, especially with respect to their experiences of motherhood, and/or their relationship with their sisters and families?

The importance of open and honest communication in relationships is one of the central themes explored in the book. How does this play out in each of Martha’s marriages? What other effects do the presence or lack of communication have?

Explore the experiences of the various characters in relation to motherhood. How is motherhood depicted?

Martha has two very important father figures in her life: her own father, Fergus, and her publisher, Peregrine. What is the significance of these connections? How do these relationships illuminate other important aspects of Martha’s characterization and/or the novel’s key themes?

Peregrine explains to Martha the original Greek meaning of the word “nostalgia.” What significance does this idea hold in the book, especially in terms of narrative style and the role that memory and fresh starts have in the story?

How are mental illness and social stigma depicted in the novel? Some commentators have criticized the author’s decision to give Martha an unidentified mental illness. What is the significance of leaving Martha’s exact diagnosis a mystery? Do you think this is an appropriate or effective decision? Why or why not?

In what ways does the novel reinforce, or undermine, traditional conceptions of masculinity and femininity? How do the gender dynamics in the novel mirror or explore these conceptions?