The Wednesday Sisters

I found this book slightly hard to get into. Initially, it felt like it was going to lack depth and fall into the "too light" chick lit category, but it wasn't long before I was glad I persevered. Not only was this book delightful to read, it was also a poignant, moving story that dealt foremost with the bonds of friendship, but on another deeper level, the start of the women's movement of the late 60's when women first dared to think "equality".

This was also a time when the civil rights movement was underway, and the plot realistically portrays the impact of the accompanying shift in values within a family, a community, and among close friends. The characters, their struggles, and the portrayal of their day-to-day lives are all very real and believable. It's sprinkled with humor but also evokes enough emotion to bring tears to your eyes at times. In short, a nicely written light read with punch.

Friendship, loyalty, and love lie at the heart of Meg Waite Clayton's beautifully written, poignant, and sweeping novel of five women who, over the course of four decades, come to redefine what it means to be family.

For thirty-five years, Frankie, Linda, Kath, Brett, and Ally have met every Wednesday at the park near their homes in Palo Alto, California. Defined when they first meet by what their husbands do, the young homemakers and mothers are far removed from the Summer of Love that has enveloped most of the Bay Area in 1967. These "Wednesday Sisters" seem to have little in common, yet they are bonded by a shared love of literature and the Miss America Pageant.

As the years pass, they experience history in the making-Vietnam, the moon landing, and the women's movement-while forming a writers circle that helps them discover their voices. Their stories of infidelity, longing, illness, and triumph show the strength of friendship and how women grow together through decades of change.

1. The Wednesday Sisters' friendships are complex and ever-changing. How do these relationships reflect the way real-life friendships evolve over time?

2. Frankie struggles to tell her husband she's writing a book. Why is it easier to share this with his boss? What does this say about their relationship?

3. Why does Kath go so far to win Lee back? Did her actions surprise you? Would you give similar advice to a friend?

4. What do Brett's white gloves symbolize? How does this detail develop her character?

5. Linda and Ally face personal health struggles that challenge their identities. How do their friendships help or hinder their ability to cope?

6. The old abandoned mansion is a haunting presence. What does it represent to each of the women? What does its eventual destruction signify?

7. How do the literary works mentioned throughout the novel shape the Wednesday Sisters' journeys? Which book would you choose as your personal inspiration?

8. Have you been in a group like the Wednesday Sisters' writing circle? What impact did it have on you?

9. The scene in the funeral parlor is a turning point. How does it shift their view of writing and life legacy?

10. How does the women's movement in the background shape the Sisters' sense of identity and possibility?

11. The Miss America pageant is a yearly ritual for the women. How do their reactions to it change over the years, and what does that say about their growth?

12. The space program is another recurring theme. Compare and contrast it with the pageant motif.

13. Brett's novel, The Mrs. Americas, imagines a women-led space mission. Why do you think she wrote this? What themes does it echo from their lives?

14. In what ways does the novel touch on issues of race and class? How are these experienced by the characters?

15. What is the significance of the novel's setting-1960s suburban Palo Alto? How might this story differ in today's world?

16. Why do you think the climax unfolds on The Tonight Show? How does this echo or contrast with the Miss America pageants earlier in the story?

17. The author says books that make her cry stay with her. Do you agree? Why do emotional stories have such staying power?