As we read The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream by Jeannie Zusy, countless questions and considerations came to mind: How does Ginny feel throughout all of this? What would we do in Maggie’s shoes? What do we owe to our siblings, when it comes to their needs and care? We could go on. But instead we’ll point you to these fantastic questions, come to us courtesy of publisher Simon & Schuster.
The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream
by Jeannie Zusy
- Bets, Maggie and Ginny all have their roles to play as sisters. Discuss each of their relationships. Does their dynamic change throughout the story? If so, how and if not, why do you think that is?
- When the story starts, Bill and Maggie’s relationship is essentially over. Maggie takes ownership for what finally ended their marriage but what else happened in their relationship that led up to her affair?
- If you were Maggie’s friend, or family member, how would you react to her relationship with Ginny? Would you have or supported her caretaking decision? What does or doesn’t seem to work between the sisters?
- There are many funny scenes in the novel, in addition to its humorous tone. Which moments made you laugh, and how did they make you feel about the characters
- Although they all have various frustrations with one another, Maggie, Betsy and Ginny clearly love each other. What are some ways they demonstrate their affection, albeit in perhaps untraditional ways?
- Maggie owns the fact that she has made mistakes over the course of the novel. Discuss what some of them were. Did you empathize with her decisions or choices at all? How does author Jeannie Zusy make her sympathetic despite her mistakes?
- The title of the book is The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream. Why do you think the author chose this? Do you think the sisters are living the dream? In what ways do their dreams change throughout the book? And how do you think Maggie’s job might connect to this concept of living the dream?
- Maggie and others vacillate in their determination to break Ginny of her sugar habit. Meanwhile, it seems that Maggie and others have some of their own addictive habits. How does this inform how they all deal with Ginny? Do you think the others even see these parallels?
Questions courtesy of Simon & Schuster