Book Club Questions for Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
Book club questions for Partita by Barbara Kingsolver take an in-depth look at this emotional novel about music, dreams, and moving forward. There will be spoilers, so for more context about the story, check out my spoiler-free review first.
Oh, Livia. What a journey. I felt for her in so many ways. All she wanted to do was break free from the farm life, but she ends up right back there.
However, that doesn’t mean she failed. Exploring the past and seeing Sigurd again seemed to finally show her that life isn’t about achieving what seems the highest you can in a career. Teaching piano to the kids of their town is just as valid and rewarding as performing for an acclaimed audience.
Quick Thoughts
I reread sections of the book, and that message really resonated in that second reading. I think it’s somewhat easy to get bogged down with Livia’s tragedies; it’s extensive and so sad, but it was also beautiful to see her find the joy in her everyday life on the farm and with the community.
The performance for Sigurd really helped Livia finally break away from the ghost of her past love. She saw he was also broken, and he’s an elitist, too.
I really wanted to witness this dinner conversation between Livia, her husband, Charlie, and Sigurd. Again, we can probably guess. Charlie certainly clued in that Sigurd’s role in Livia’s life was significant.
But in the end, Livia got a great gift: letting go of the past and realizing that Charlie, teaching piano, and having a support system is truly a beautiful thing.
Let me know what you thought about the book in the comments section below!
Book Club Questions for Partita
- Did you know what a partita was prior to reading the novel? Are you a fan of classical music?
- The chapters mirrored a classical partita; why do you believe the author chose to title the chapters in this way?
- Did you listen to the recommended playlist by the author and publisher? And/or did you listen to the audiobook? How did incorporating music impact your reading experience with this novel?
- The story features two timelines, one in the present with Livia receiving the call from Sigurd that rocks her world, while the other follows Livia’s journey through a turbulent childhood to eventually making it to college. Why was it important for us to read the past and present? How did knowing where Livia ended up influence how you perceived the chapters dedicated to her younger years?
- One of the defining events of Livia’s life is her brother’s death by suicide. Let’s discuss how Livia was changed for good after losing him.
- Why was the piano the right outlet for Livia?
- Throughout the novel, Livia’s mother is a harrowing presence. She’s so cruel to both her children. As Livia goes through her mother’s belongings after she passed, she is shocked to find out her mother was a singer and that her grandmother was vicious about it as well. Why do you feel that Livia’s mother ended up following in her own mother’s footsteps and did not support Livia’s dreams? Was her mother jealous?
- Livia is happy in college; she tried to shed her country upbringing as much as possible, even trying to eliminate some of the southern aspects of her accent. She’s with a boyfriend she’s not passionate about, but they get along enough. However, her steady life and passion for music take a huge detour the moment she meets Sigurd. Livia falls hard for Sigurd. Why was Livia so drawn to him?
- What was your overall impression of Sigurd? Did he actually love Livia, or was it just a relationship of passion and convenience for him at the time?
- We know Livia ends up married to a nice man, Charlie, who takes over her family’s farm. She teaches piano to children and adults in the town and has a best friend in her sister-in-law, Mickie. But Livia is haunted by the what-ifs of her past. Why do you think she wasn’t able to move on from her past for so long?
- How did cleaning out Livia’s mother’s house, including throwing several belongings into a fire, help Livia finally get some closure on her relationship with her mother?
- Sigurd suddenly accepts a job position in Phoenix and leaves behind Livia. Let’s talk about that plot development and the impact on Livia.
- Sigurd is a socialist and is laser-focused on his goal of being a union organizer. Why do you think there was such a focus on this aspect of Sigurd? How did it impact his outlook on life and how he viewed Livia both in college and when they see each other again in their 50s?
- As she tries to make money working at a local restaurant, she experiences a horrific injury that damages her hands forever and ruins her dreams of becoming a professional pianist. What were your thoughts as you read this unfold?
- Not only does that happen, but it turns out Livia is unexpectedly pregnant. It’s a terrible time, and even when reaching out to Sigurd, he doesn’t even try to come and help her. Eventually, Livia loses the baby, but is unable to ever get pregnant again. How did this traumatic experience change everything for Livia?
- After experiencing such heavy loss, Charlie picks up Livia and takes her back home. The two do bond; Charlie lost a limb in a tragic accident as a child, and Livia’s hand will never be the same. Charlie has always loved Livia. That said, do you feel Livia settled for Charlie, or do you believe she does love him?
- While Livia is eventually fine with her life, she always has a thought running in the background of her mind: what if. But when talking and seeing Sigurd again, she doesn’t feel any of that old passion. She even has all the kids she teaches put on a concert for him, and Livia feels so much joy in seeing them perform. How did seeing Sigurd, and also the concert, finally give Livia closure?
- We don’t get to witness the dinner between Livia, Charlie, and Sigurd. What do you think they talked about?
- Will Livia eventually tell Charlie the truth about it all?
- Is Livia now happy with her current direction in life?
- Mickie says to Livia at one point, “The point of art is to help you like your life better.” What does that mean in the context of this story? And what does it mean personally to you?
Additional Recommendations
Hope you enjoyed the book club questions for Partita! Here are some more recommendations along with links to book club questions.
If you are itching to read another story about a farmer’s wife looking back on the past, you should check out Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. In fact, we need a multiverse story where Livia and Lara of Tom Lake can hang out and trash their toxic exes.
The story is set in spring of 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic. The protagonist, Lara, is sheltering in place with her husband and three adult daughters at the family’s farm in Northern Michigan.
To serve as a distraction, Lara’s daughters ask their mother about the summer when she had a romance with a man who would eventually become a famous movie star.
Lara tells the story about her past, and with it, interweaves with the present. Check out more of my review here and my book club questions here.
Another introspective story is Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult. This one also has several twists. She truly is a master at highlighting complex real-life problems woven into a fictional tale. No one gets off easy, but at the same time, there is a lot of compassion in every thought.
She is straightforward with tough topics. And Hollow Bones is certainly one of her harder, subject matter-wise stories. Check out more of my review here and my book club questions here.
Happy reading!
Heather’s Book Club
