THE DIVORCE PARTY

 Laura Dave is the author of the novels The Divorce Party and London is the Best City in America, both of which are in development at Universal Studios. Her writing has appeared in Glamour, The New York Times, Self, Redbook, ESPN the Magazine, and The New York Observer. She received her B.A. in English at the University of Pennsylvania and a graduate degree in creative writing at The University of Virginia, where she was a Henry Hoyns Fellow. She lives in New York City.

“A revealing, honest portrait of how love binds us together—and drives us apart.”
—Kate Jacobs, author of The Friday Night Knitting Club

“Events unfold over the course of a day, but the lessons learned have their roots in a lifetime.”
—Elle

” Incredibly deft, utterly satisfying . . . I love every character. A triumph of a first novel!”
—Melissa Bank, author of The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing

“Elegant, accessible prose and compelling portraits of relationships.” —Cosmopolitan

Nate suggests that people with some money act differently than people with a lot of money. What does he mean? If you were to come into a large sum of money, in what ways would you expect it to change you? How would you want your life to stay the same?

Gwyn seems to place most of the blame for her marital problems squarely on her husband. How much responsibility does Eve bear? Do you think Gwyn should have been harder on her? How much responsibility lies with Gwyn?

Put yourself in Maggie’s shoes. Would your trust in Nate be shattered? Do you think you’d be able to overcome your uncertainty about him? Is it ever best not to know the truth?

Do you think a divorce party is a good idea? Would you hold a celebration for a divorce or a break-up? Would you attend one?

How do you see Gwyn faring? What about her husband’s relationship with Eve? How do you expect it to evolve?

Should Gwyn have confronted Thomas earlier? How do you think their story would have been different?

In what ways has Maggie been affected by her mother’s leaving? What about Nate and Georgia? How have they been affected by their relationships with their parents?

Do you know women like Murphy? Why do you think she would make up a crazy story and make a stranger uncomfortable? Maggie could have avoided worrying about Murphy if she’d only confronted Nate about what Murphy said. If she’d come right out and asked him, do you think Maggie would have believed Nate’s denial?

Music is woven throughout The Divorce Party and is ultimately critical to the book’s resolution. Why is music such an important part of love stories?