by Toby Devens
My protagonist is in her mid-forties, with an interesting history and a future in jeopardy because . . . Well, I’m in the early stages. I know it’s going to be exciting and fun to write and, I hope, like my other novels, exciting and fun to read. Even when the roof caves in (as it does literally and figuratively in this one)—especially when the roof caves in—if you survive intact, you gotta laugh.
That’s the immediate project. Over the next few years, more novels, because there are always stories percolating, and not writing is never an option.
CONVERSATION GUIDE
QUESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION
SPOILER ALERT: The Questions for Discussion that follow tell more about what happens in the book than you might want to know until after you’ve read it.
First, did Happy Any Day Now make you laugh? What were the funniest parts for you?
What is your overall reaction to the novel? Does it seem fresh and original? Do you care about the characters? Is it the kind of novel you want to tell your friends about?
Judith Raphael is almost fifty and facing some major challenges in her life. Do you like her, even when she is obsessing about her situation? Her life circumstances might be quite different from your own, but can you relate to her anyway? Why or why not?
What do you think of Judith’s mother, Grace? What do you most admire about her? Discuss her role as immigrant, garment worker, mother, and as her own woman. What has she retained from her Korean origins and what about her is purely American?
Judith has changed over the years, but Charlie seems to be the same man he was decades before. Think about your first serious romantic relationship. Do you have regrets about the way it ended? How do you think your life would have been different if you had wound up with your first love?
Judith’s grandma Roz was not happy with her son’s choice of Grace for his wife. Kiki was determined Charlie wouldn’t marry Judith. How much influence should a mother or father have over the choice of a child’s spouse? Discuss guidelines for good relationships with daughters-in-law and sons-in-law.
Richard Tarkoff is Judith’s beloved mentor, who has had and will continue to have, through his gift to her, a huge impact on her career as a cellist. Has a mentor of some kind, professional or personal, ever helped to shape your life?
Discuss Judith’s experience while growing up as one of the few Asian kids in school. Did you know kids in school whose ethnicity set them apart? Were you one of them? Care to share stories of what you remember, or what your own children have gone through?
Why do you think Grace is willing to take another chance on Irwin? If you were free to accept him back in your life, would you welcome back a former husband or lover?
Do you find the resolution of Judith’s relationship with Geoff satisfying? Why do you think they agree to move in together but not necessarily get married? How do you envision their future?
Judith develops a case of performance anxiety that threatens her career. How do you feel about speaking before an audience? Do you (or does someone you know) have a phobia or fear that limits your life? What can you do about it?
Have you ever had your fortune told, and did the predictions come true? Do you think Lulu Cho is a fraud or the real deal?
The novel ends with a party. Describe the best party you’ve ever attended. What do you consider essential for a good party?
Grace tells Judith that the next fifty years will be the best ever. Whatever your own age, do you agree that life keeps on getting better?