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Book club questions for The Husbands by Holly Gramazio takes a closer look at this charming magical realism story. There will be spoilers so for more context about the book, check out my spoiler-free review first.
I liked The Husbands quite a bit! It’s a fun and entertaining tale. The story never took itself too seriously or veers into a dark terrority, which I appreciated. And it does make you think about fate vs. choice.
All in all, a good one. Let me know what you think about the book!
The Synopsis
When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.
As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?
Book Club Questions for The Husbands
- What is your overall opinion of Lauren? How did she grow from the beginning of the novel to the end?
- Why do you think this endless supply of husbands is happening to her? What is she supposed to learn from this experience?
- How would you have reacted if you were Lauren?
- Oftentimes, she doesn’t give the new husband much of a chance and sends him right back to the attic. What was she searching for in a partner?
- Who are some of the more memorable husbands?
- Carter is the husband Lauren felt the most chemistry with and grieves a bit when it ends. Why was she so drawn to Carter?
- Let’s talk about what happened when she went to Carter in Denver. Why do you think this version of Carter was so different from the one in the past?
- Eventually, she meets another person like her—Bohai—who is also cycling through spouses. What was your impression of their dynamic? Why didn’t they pursue a romance?
- What made Lauren eventually to decide to burn the house, and the magical attic? Do you think her and Sam will last? What happens next for them?
- What would you say is the overall message of the story?
- Would you cast for some of the main roles if they turn this novel into a feature film?
Additional Recommendations
Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The Husbands! Here are some more recommendations along with links to book club questions.
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
An interesting approach to magical realism is One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle. Also, it’s hard to beat the setting in Italy! Check out my book club questions here.
When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.
And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.
Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore
Another engaging time loop story is Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore. Check out my book club questions here.
It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. At the stroke of midnight she will turn nineteen, and the year ahead promises to be one of consequence. Should she go to London to study economics, or remain at home in Brooklyn to pursue her passion for music and be with her boyfriend? As the countdown to the New Year begins, Oona faints and awakens thirty-two years in the future in her fifty-one-year-old body. Greeted by a friendly stranger in a beautiful house she’s told is her own, Oona learns that with each passing year she will leap to another age at random. And so begins Oona Out of Order…
Hopping through decades, pop culture fads, and much-needed stock tips, Oona is still a young woman on the inside but ever changing on the outside. Who will she be next year? Philanthropist? Club Kid? World traveler? Wife to a man she’s never met? Surprising, magical, and heart-wrenching, Margarita Montimore has crafted an unforgettable story about the burdens of time, the endurance of love, and the power of family.
Happy reading!
