Reading Guide Table for Five

Table for Five

Mira (January 2012)
ISBN-10: 0778313824
ISBN-13: 978-0778313823
Published in 2005
Reading Guide

1. If you are the parent of minor children, are they provided for in your will? How did you
   determine who will take care of them if something happens to you?
2. Suppose an estranged husband and wife disagreed on who should raise their children if
   something happened to both of them? How should the question be settled?
3. What was behind Lily’s reluctance to engage in a long-term relationship and start a family
   of her own?
4. Did Sean initially strike you as good family man material? What traits did he possess that
   ultimately transformed him?
5. What did you think of Lily’s decision to give up her summer plans for the sake of the
   children? Was it a no-brainer, or should she have debated the issue more?
6. How did Cameron’s grief manifest itself in his behavior? What’s the best way to deal with
   a teenager coping with Cameron’s issues?
7. How would you react if you suddenly lost your best friend? Would you be willing and able
   to raise her kids? In what ways would your life change if you suddenly found yourself with
   three kids you hadn’t planned on?
8. What was the key trouble with Charlie? Why, in the midst of her grief, did she start doing
   better in school? What effect does the pressure of secrecy have on a young child?
9. How and when should Ashley be told about her parents? Should Greg be a part of her life?
10. Mark Twain said, “Grief can take care if itself, but to get the full value of a joy you
    must have somebody to divide it with.” How does the story illustrate this?