If you are in a book club or maybe just like talking about books with friends, Marlene has created a reading group guide for Off-Island. Feel free to use these questions to help guide your discussion.
Questions and Topics for Discussion
- In Off-Island, a story about choices, we see three women from the same family face a decision. Which choice made the most sense to you, and why? Which do you identify with most?
- Krista feels that abortion is the right choice for her in the moment. She is unprepared for the emotional fall out afterward. Have you ever made a decision based on information you thought you understood only to be painfully surprised?
- Krista at first goes on the run from her home in New York City, but in the end returns to the life she knows and the man she loves. What qualities make her so resilient?
- Despite Ilsa being long gone and the summer house on Martha’s Vineyard closed up, Krista finds solace and hope for the future there. Is there a similar place in your own life? Explain.
- Krista meets her childhood friend Deidre on the beach, along with her friend’s child Justine. They pick up right where they left off years before with an easy confidence. Do you have a friend who despite time and distance is always there for you?
- Krista turns into a familiar church and unexpectedly finds a female cleric who offers her comfort and reconciliation. Have you ever been surprised by coming across the right person at the right time for no good reason whatsoever? What happened?
- Michael and Krista both experience the emotional pain of loss. Compare and contrast how they each choose to deal with it.
- Krista finally responds to Michael and to her mother. When she returns to New York City and her career as a dancer how do you imagine her life will change?
