The whydunnit mystery Mr. Wilson’s Wives lends itself well to book club discussions. Below are a few suggested questions for discussion with your group, provided by the Pleasant Prairie Elementary group, who invited me to their discussion. Do you have a group who would like a visit/discussion with me (the author)? Feel free to reach out via the Contact page, and I would be glad to sit in on your discussion and answer any questions you might have. Happy reading!
***Spoilers Ahead!***
Questions:
* Early on we learn of former girlfriend of Erwin’s, Freya Pedersen. Ervin married Charlotte, and Freya was bitter. Do you feel Freya and Erwin would have continued to possible marriage had Erwin NOT taken the bet? Was Freya better off?
* Erwin married Charlotte Tremblay, who was assaulted by an older man, a friend of her father. Was that the best decision for that time? Was Erwin a good man?
* Erwin seems genuinely distraught over Stella leaving. Does he have true feelings for her (or any of his wives)? What are your thoughts on Stella and Natalie’s plans/setup for alimony?
* Katya Petrov and Daphne Hamadon both arrived in the U.S. under similar circumstances. Yet, both meet and marry Erwin under different circumstances. Why didn’t any of these earlier marriages last? Do you know of any mail-order/arranged marriages?
* Miriam Cohen (1976) was Erwin’s accountant. She had endometriosis and married Erwin as a spouse to provide consent for her to have a surgery/hysterectomy. What are your thoughts about women’s rights in the short time frame from 1976 to the present day? Have things improved for women?
* What was Erwin’s “family” business that allowed him to have so much money? Was it a legal business?
* Did he do a good thing marrying that many times?
* Do you think he ever found true love?
* Bruno Wilson pleads with Lizzie NOT to write the book. How could this affect “the children”? What type of relationship do you feel Mr. Wilson had with his children?
* Would Mr. Wilson have wanted his story told?
* Lizzie’s personal story was intertwined from chapter to chapter. Did you like this setup? Is there anything from her personal story you would have wanted to know more of?
* Lizzie ultimately decided Mr. Wilson’s story was not hers to tell. Do you feel her own personal experience of telling her mother and sisters’ story played a part in this decision? Would you have written the book?
* Luis, Lizzie’s little brother, shows up at the cabin and spends time with her. What are your thoughts on this relationship in the book?
* Luis often asks for a beer and quotes Wisconsin state guidelines: “anyone (any age) can be served alcohol in a bar as long as a parent is present and gives consent”. What do you think of this? Does this encourage drinking or make it more responsible?
* Do you feel Lizzie’s family forgives her?
* Did you like or dislike this book? Why or why not?
Kaitlyn Bolyard 