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1. Why do you think author
Joanna Cannon decided to set the novel in a nursing home?
2. On page 63, Florence says, "I needed someone to hold my worrying for
me." How does Elsie play this role for her?
3. The act of naming and renaming things is a recurring theme in the
novel. Why do you think this is significant?
4. Did Florence’s failing memory change your understanding of events at
Cherry Tree? Does it make her a less reliable narrator? Why or why not?
5. "Simon wondered where his life ended and their life began, and how we
could all be stitched so tightly together, yet the threads between
everybody still go unnoticed" (page 124). How does this idea of the
bonds between humanity play out throughout the novel?
6. "‘You’ve got to find forgiveness, Florence,’ said Elsie. ‘You find it
so easily in other people, why do you struggle so much to find it in
yourself?’" (page 334). Why do you think Florence struggles to forgive
herself for the past?
7. Consider the role of time in novel, especially Florence’s idea of a
"long second"—when time seems to hesitate just long enough to give you a
chance to make the right decision. Have you experienced any "long
seconds" in your life?
8. Florence and Simon both repeat throughout the novel that they have
lived very ordinary lives. Do you think this is the case? How do you
think ordinary versus extraordinary is measured?
9. "Sometimes, a name is the only thing we can leave behind," Florence
says on page 103. Do you think this is true? What else do you think
Florence will leave behind?
10. Did the third thing about Elsie come as a surprise to you? Why or
why not?
11. What do you think makes Florence ultimately realize that she has lived
an extraordinary life, in the end?
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