READERS GUIDE
Reader’s GuideFaking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey
Discussion Questions:
1. Max’s hatred of Christmas is one of the reasons Laurel initially dislikes him. Are you more of a Max or a Laurel when it comes to holiday celebrations?
2. Even though Laurel loves Holly, she still sometimes feels jealous of her twin’s accomplishments and doesn’t feel secure about her role in their family. If you have siblings, do you ever feel conflicted about your role in your family, the way Laurel does?
3. Laurel tells a little white lie to Gilbert that spins out of control and leads to him inviting himself to her farm. You’ve probably never been in such a dramatic situation, but have you ever lied to a boss? What were the consequences?
4. Do you think it’s unforgiveable that Laurel lied to Gilbert about owning a farm? Do you think she had understandable reasons for doing so? What would you have done in that situation?
5. Faking Christmas is loosely based on the 1945 film Christmas in Connecticut. If you’ve seen the movie, what parts of the plot are similar? What are the differences?
6. If you were going to write your own version of a classic Christmas movie, which movie would you choose?
7. Laurel watches It’s a Wonderful Life every Christmas because it reminds her of all the times she watched it with her grandmother. Do you have any movies you watch every holiday season? What makes them special to you?
8. The Grant family has a lot of Christmas traditions, including cookie decorating. What holiday traditions are important to your family?
9. What do you think the future holds for Laurel and Max? What holiday traditions will they start for their own family?
10. Laurel tries to transform herself with self-help books because she doesn’t want to be Old Laurel anymore. But eventually she realizes, “It’s
starting to seem like Old Laurel and New Laurel were never real people all along . . . maybe I’m just Laurel, just one lady who’s trying her best, messing up a lot, and making it better.” What do you think she learned about herself, and the people who love her, over the course of the book? Do you think she’ll continue to be so focused on self-improvement?
