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Liza Tully is the pseudonym for Elisabeth Brink, who also writes dark thrillers under the name Elisabeth Elo, as well as literary fiction under Elisabeth Panttaja Brink. Have you read any of her other novels?
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7
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29
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May 17, 2026
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To what audience would you recommend Won’t Be Long Now? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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18
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85
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May 17, 2026
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Billie's feelings about Joan are complicated. What aspects of Billie's life play into that relationship? What did you think about Joan's treatment of Billie?
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21
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99
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May 17, 2026
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Billie’s mother insists that she can stand pain if she makes up her mind to (“You could stand anything for a minute, an hour a day…”) What did you think of this? How did this philosophy help or hurt Billie?
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10
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40
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May 17, 2026
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After her father dies, Billie finds she has trouble remembering his face. Her mother recalls being told, when her own mother died, that reciting the best memory of her, over and over, would help. Was a good strategy? Have you ever done something similar?
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15
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51
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May 17, 2026
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Do you think Billie made the right decision to stay in Hutch and take care of her mother?
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20
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90
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May 17, 2026
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What do you understand Billie to mean when she says that people's words sometimes "echo" in her mind? Have you (or someone you know) ever had an experience like this?
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8
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50
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May 17, 2026
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How do you think Billie's life would have turned out if her father had lived?
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23
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102
|
May 17, 2026
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Billie often mentions the polka dot agate rock given to her by her friend Harriet. What do you think it means to Billie?
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18
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96
|
May 17, 2026
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Beyond abject grief, what do you think of the reaction of the Enholm family and the Wiley community to the accident that claims the lives of their loved ones? Did anything about it surprise you?
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10
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62
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May 17, 2026
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What role do you think the woman Billie meets at the Garden of Eden plays in the story? As off-putting as she is, why do you think Billie is drawn to her?
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8
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38
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May 17, 2026
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Billie tests at the level of genius and reads a thick dictionary for pleasure, and yet she is naïve about some things— for example, she thinks that the Garden of Eden is the actual location where Adam and Eve once walked. How do you reconcile these two?
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15
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67
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May 17, 2026
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What did you think of the relationship between Billie and her mother? How do Billie's feelings about her mother change over the course of the novel? Does Dixie go through a similar change?
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9
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39
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May 17, 2026
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Beyond what Billie says, why do you think she feels that she doesn't belong in the same world as anyone else she knows?
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8
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39
|
May 17, 2026
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What did you make of Billie’s awareness of a rage inside her that she first calls The Thing, later Charlotte? She wonders if there’s a Charlotte or something like a Charlotte in everyone’s life, but that people just don’t talk about it. What do you think?
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8
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39
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May 17, 2026
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What did you think of the novel’s post-Troy ending? Did you enjoy the way the various threads wrapped up? Would you have liked to have seen a different ending for any of the characters?
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14
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62
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May 17, 2026
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When Vicki’s murderer is revealed, Olivia asks Merritt if she doesn’t feel bad for that person, if only a little. (p. 375) What about you? Did you feel bad for the killer at all?
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12
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46
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May 17, 2026
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What was your opinion of the relationship between Ares and Aphrodite? Why were they so attracted to each other, and what kept drawing them back together even after each had caused the other so much pain?
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13
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48
|
May 17, 2026
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Overall, what did you think of Aphrodite in Pieces? (No spoilers in this topic, please.)
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26
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120
|
May 17, 2026
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Have you read Elizabeth Hardinger’s earlier novel, All the Forgiveness? If so, how does it compare to Won’t Be Long Now?
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9
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41
|
May 16, 2026
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To what audience would you recommend Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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7
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38
|
May 16, 2026
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When Mebel and Alain begin their affair, both are still married but living separately from their spouses. What was your opinion of Alain, and of their relationship? Did you suspect his true character before Gemma spilled the beans?
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13
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38
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May 16, 2026
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At the end of her first week of classes, Chef Clarke advises Mebel to drop out because she doesn’t “have what it takes to be a chef.” (pp. 88-90). What did you think of this scene? Do you feel he was trying to be kind? What about Mebel’s response?
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10
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28
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May 16, 2026
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Once Mebel decides to take cooking classes, her first step is to decide on a cuisine to learn. What did you think of her choice? What’s your cooking experience, and which cuisine would you like to learn how to cook?
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2
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11
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May 16, 2026
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Why do you think Mebel is so intent on winning Henk back? What did you feel about her choice of how to go about it?
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9
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42
|
May 16, 2026
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Gemma calls Mebel “Mebs” and at first Mebel is offended because she's used to “elders [being] treated with reverence.” (p. 99). Does Mebel receive the appropriate deference in class? How do you think her age helps or hurts her at the cooking school?
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7
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25
|
May 16, 2026
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The misspelling of her name is a big deal to Mebel, because she feels it marks her as a non-English speaker. Is she correct in her assessment about how the English-speaking world views those who don’t speak the language?
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9
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25
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May 15, 2026
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Mebel thinks that “The more power and money [powerful men] amass, the more fragile their egos become.” (p. 262). What do you feel about this statement? Is it accurate?
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14
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58
|
May 15, 2026
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Ares leaves Aphrodite after the couple is discovered. Do you think he should have stood by her, defying Zeus, or did he do the right thing by ending the relationship?
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13
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43
|
May 14, 2026
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Scott tells Merritt, “[W]hen you’re the black sheep of the family, everyone is quick to judge.” (p. 278). What did you think of his statement here? Do you feel he’s correct in general, or was this specific to his own circumstances?
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5
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18
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May 14, 2026
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