A Remarkable Kindness (30 page)

  
1.
  
The role of the friendship among the women is an important theme of
A Remarkable Kindness.
How did the women's friendship change over time? How did their friendship sustain them?

  
2.
  
Aviva, Emily, Rachel, and Lauren are all part of a special circle that gives them emotional support. Do you have a “circle” of friends or a group that gives your life special meaning?

  
3.
  
Some of the characters in the novel leave America to escape the expected and familiar. Do you see this as an American story? And if not, why not? Why do you think each of the characters react differently to living in Israel?

  
4.
  
America was founded by people who came to its shores. When we leave it, which part of our national identity comes with us? Which part of our personal identity do we leave behind? And, if you were to move to another country, where would you go and why?

  
5.
  
Lauren feels like the life she's living isn't the one she's supposed to have. She's moved to Israel for the strongest reasons, love and family, but can't shake the part of her that longs for home, in Boston. What do you think drives what Emily calls Lauren's “romance for a city”? How does being in Israel transform Lauren?

  
6.
  
Emily takes chances, like impulsively moving across the world to join Lauren. She makes choices that seem risky, but doesn't obsess over her mistakes. How does her sense of fate reflect her choices? Do you relate to her motivations and actions, or are you more of a thinker and a planner?

  
7.
  
Rachel moved to Israel with the desire to change things and help work for peace. She tries different sorts of work, meeting people who challenge her on many levels. Can you relate to how she stands up for her convictions? In what ways have your principles been tested?

  
8.
  
Aviva endures the loss of a child and a husband, with no choice but to keep living: One night she “curled up on her side, wanting to squish the grief right out of her,” but forced by Rachel to leave the house, is reminded “that the universe is still there and hadn't entirely abandoned her.” How does she learn to heal from her sorrows? Have you or someone you know experienced grief like this?

  
9.
  
Do you believe that life is a series of accidental turns, as Lauren does? Or that things happen for a reason, as Emily supposes? Do the events in the book prove either idea?

10.
  
For the women of the burial circle, the ritual makes them appreciate their lives with fresh eyes. Do you have similar routines or reminders in your life to inspire you to live in the moment?

11.
  
The novel has a strong message about the circle of life, and its inevitable end—not only the death of those we love, but our own. What kind of ritual would you like for yourself after you've gone—or none at all? Which clothes do you want to be buried in? Do you want to be buried at all? Would you like someone to recite a special prayer for you? A song? A poem?

12.
  
In the neighborhood of the novel, in contrast to the war going on in the larger setting, a wide variety of people form deep and abiding relationships. Do you have friends with different beliefs and customs than yours? How does your own community compare?

13.
  
What did you learn about Jewish traditions? Do you turn to religious traditions during crises? What kind of rituals do you perform to help deal with grief? What does the novel teach about spirituality and faith?

The Mom Who Took Off on Her Motorcycle

The Invisible Thread: A Portrait of Jewish American Women

Cover design by Emin Mancheril

Cover photograph © by Rostislav Glinsky/Alamy

This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real.

P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.

A REMARKABLE KINDNESS
. Copyright © 2015 by Diana Bletter. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

FIRST EDITION

EPub Edition August 2015 ISBN 9780062382450

ISBN 978-0-06-238244-3

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