This post contains links to products that I may receive compensation from at no additional cost to you. View my Affiliate Disclosure page here.
Book club questions for Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry takes an in-depth look at her ambitious new novel. There will be spoilers so for more context about the story, check out my spoiler-free review first.
As I mentioned in my review, while I enjoyed this novel, I did find it quite uneven in places, especially the beginning of the romance between Alice and Hayden. And I wanted more from Margaret’s story, it felt lacking in some areas.
But I still found it entertaining overall. I’m really curious what kind of story Emily Henry approaches next!
What were your thoughts on Great Big Beautiful Life?
The Synopsis
Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.
Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story.
But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.
And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on who’s telling it.
Book Club Questions for Great Big Beautiful Life
- Great Big Beautiful Life is a departure from Emily Henry’s other novels in both tone and subject matter. What were your overall thoughts on this approach? Do you feel it worked? Why or why not?
- Do you have a favorite Emily Henry book? Where does this one fall in your rankings?
- Why was journalism the right career choice for Alice? What did she hope may happen if she was the one to write Margaret’s book?
- Despite his feelings for Alice, Hayden doesn’t want to cross a line since they are technically competitors for Margaret’s story. What were your initial thoughts on Alice and Hayden? Do you think they are a good fit? Why or why not?
- Why did Margaret feel like now is the time to tell her story after everything that has transpired?
- Much of Margaret’s family history is told through dialogue between Margaret and Alice. Did that work or would you have preferred if it was a dual timeline structure (explaining the past and the present)?
- Were you engaged with Margaret’s history and past? Or were you left wanting more? What were your thoughts on her romance with Cosmo?
- Is Margaret’s story a tragedy?
- Margaret has a couple twists up her sleeve and it turns out that she had a child that she gave up for fear of what the press would do. And that child turns out to be Hayden’s mother so Margaret is his grandmother. The entire book project started as a way for Margaret to meet her grandson. What were your thoughts on this reveal?
- Eventually, Alice and Hayden marry, and have a child. They also co-wrote Margaret’s book together. Did you like the ending? What happens next for all the characters?
- Who would you cast in the main roles for a film or TV adaptation?
Additional Recommendations
Hope you enjoyed book club questions for Great Big Beautiful Life! Here are so more recommendations along with links to book club questions.
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr by Crystal Smith Paul
Another epic type story is Did You Hear About Kitty Karr by Crystal Smith Paul. Here is a link to my book club questions.
When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions.
A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could—and between a cheating fiancé and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty.
The truth behind Kitty’s ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them.
As Elise digs deeper into Kitty’s past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a sprawling page-turner set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race, and gender—and the choices some women make to break free of them.
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
For another mystery type tale, check out The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan. Check out my book club questions here.
Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, she’s one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. She’s never attended author events or granted any interviews. Her real identity had been a closely guarded secret, until now.
As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.
Happy reading!
