READERS GUIDE

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. Dominic and Daphne meet young, their first week at university. How do you think their age impacts the arc of their relationship over the course of the novel?

2. When reflecting on the beginning of their relationship, Daphne says she “felt seen, admired” and that Dominic “remained demonstrative.” How did their perceptions of each other change over time?

3. Daphne says she “wanted her twenties to be a period that liberated and defined her.” What key moments did she miss out on during those years in marrying Dominic? Do you believe in the popular belief that your twenties are made up of key moments and decisions that will impact the rest of your life—more so than any other decade of your life? Why or why not?

4. How do you feel about Daphne’s attitude towards, and relationship with, her body? How does The Freedom Clause alter her image of herself?

5. Would you ever agree to a “freedom clause” in your relationship? Why or why not? What stipulations would you add or change?

6. While The Freedom Clause starts with a couple and a marriage, it ultimately focuses on the surprising revelations of what happens when a woman asks for what she wants. Why do you think this is a particular struggle for women? Did this novel inspire you to ask for something you want and, if so, how?

7. Discuss the importance of the epigraph in relation to the novel: “It had not occurred to him that she might not consider herself to be the minor character and him the major character. In this sense, she had unsettled a boundary, collapsed a social hierarchy, broken with the usual rituals.”

8. Why do you think Daphne turns to food as a means for comfort and processing as she navigates The Freedom Clause? And why do you think her newsletter took off in the way it did? How did these recipes add to your reading experience? What was your favorite recipe?

9. What do you think of Dominic’s arc as a character? Do you think he is, at heart, a “good guy,” or is he irredeemable, and why?

10. Consider the following quote from the novel: “the flip side of loving Dominic so intensely is his ability to inflict hurt.” Do you believe the people who you love the most, have the power to hurt you the most? Why or why not?

11. How do you think Dominic and Daphne’s distinct relationships with their families impact the way they seem themselves and their relationship?

12. Daphne has never felt interested in motherhood, whereas Dominic believes they will have children once “her maternal instincts magically kick in.” Do you think a relationship can work if someone wants children and the other doesn’t? What do you consider non-negotiable when considering a long-term partner? Discuss.

13. The Freedom Clause begins as an agreement to explore a little freedom outside the traditional confines of marriage. But what other forms of freedom do both Daphne and Dominic discover over the course of the novel?

14. Before they come up with The Freedom Clause, Dominic and Daphne both recognize that they haven’t been having much sex. Dominic worries about it, as “men prioritize sex over everything,” but Daphne hasn’t really noticed, and later, she reflects that she is, perhaps, just “not a sexual person.” How important do you think sex is in a relationship?

15. What do you think about how Dominic and Daphne’s story ends? Do you wish the story had a different ending?