Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

1. The novel is written from the third-person point of view and limited to both Lila Kennedy’s and Celie’s perspectives. Analyze the narrative and thematic significance of this formal choice. Why did Moyes incorporate Celie’s vantage point? How would the novel change if it were written from an alternate perspective?

Explore the role of female friendship in Lila’s growth journey. Consider how her relationships with Eleanor, Jane, Jessie, and Anoushka influence her throughout the novel. How would her character arc differ without these relationships?

The novel explores the Challenges and Rewards of Family Life. Craft an analytical essay that explores how Lila’s home life both overwhelms and buoys her. Consider Moyes’s subtextual commentaries on a woman’s relationship to home and family spheres—particularly in light of Lila’s concurrent writing life.