Printable Book Club Questions for Rouge by Richard Kirshenbaum

The book starts off with a prologue in 1983. It’s the funeral for Josephine and it seems like the entire beauty industry came out for it—including her rival Constance. What did you think about this beginning? How did it set the stage for what was to come?
What were your first impressions of Constance? Did it change as the the story progressed? What about for Josephine?
Why do you think both Constance and Josephine were drawn to working on beauty and makeup products? Why were they both suited for this?
In what ways are Constance and Josephine different? And how are they similar? Do you think one is more talented than the other or are they equals?
Who do you think was the happier one out of the two of them?
Which one do you think is the better boss if you had to work for either of them?
Why do you think they fell into the bitter rivalry? But in what ways, did they actually need each other?
Let’s talk CeeCee’s storyline. If the book was set today—Constance would definitely be accused of sexual harassment. Let’s talk about how CeeCee rose above it all to become so successful.
What did you think about her relationship with Mickey?
Did you know much about the real-life inspirations behind the two women (Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden) prior to reading the novel?
Sony is planning to make this book into a feature film. Let’s cast the main roles!