READERS GUIDE
Reader’s GuideMother of Rome by Lauren J. A. Bear
Discussion Questions:
1. In recent years, The Kübler-Ross model of five stages of grief—Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance—has been increased to seven. Do you think the addition of Shock and Testing/Processing more accurately reflect how we deal with grief? Why or why not?
2. Genevieve takes a new approach to grief therapy, where they don’t share their bereavement story right away. How do you think your reaction to each character would have been different if you had known the specifics of their loss first?
3. Freya faints at the first meeting, forcing Mischa and Victoria to interact. Were you surprised that it was the youngest of the group who seemed best equipped to deal with the situation? How did you interpret Victoria’s reaction?
4. Callum portrays himself as not needing these meetings, and yet he’s the first one of the group to suggest spending time together outside of therapy. Did you see this as Callum looking for connection, or a way for him to hide behind his party persona?
5. Victoria believes that her loss isn’t traumatic enough for her to be in the group; in fact, she doesn’t think she’s grieving at all. How does a complicated family history impact the ways we process grief?
6. Do you think it would be more or less difficult to share these stories of loved ones’ lost with strangers? Is there a safety in relative anonymity?
7. Mischa took on enormous responsibility at a very young age, when she became the main carer for her ill mother. In what ways does society support caretakers, and what more can be done to share some of that load?
8. Freya faces one of the hardest challenges in the book. Would you have made the same decision she did? If not, why?
9. Genevieve begins the book wanting to impress the organization she works for, and by the end, she’s thrown protocol out the window. What
did you think of her journey? Do you think there was another way of achieving her end goal?
10. Now that you’ve finished the book, what are your reflections on the grieving process each character goes through?
