Crybaby Ranch (26 page)

2. Suzannah wants more from her relationship with Bo as a result of her marriage to Erik. Do you think she has the right to expect this? And do you think their relationship lasts past the point in which the story ends?

3. How do you feel when Suzannah begins a temporary relationship with Deak and what do you think she gains from the experience?

4. Do you know anyone as zany as Bo's aunts?

5. Bo's grandfather, O.C., is prejudicial in a way others of his generation are. How do you handle a situation when an otherwise respected person makes prejudicial or inflammatory remarks in your presence?

6. Suzannah leaves home for Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the place she can imagine herself living alone happily. Where would you go? What qualities would you need such a place to hold?

7. Every character in
Crybaby Ranch
evolves toward a fuller, larger self except for Suzannah's mother, Lizzie, whose Alzheimer's disease contracts her sense of self. Perhaps the character who grows the most throughout the story is Bo. Discuss Bo's process of change from a heavy-drinking cowboy to a productive artist.

8. Do you have someone as self-centered as Caro in your life? If you do, how do you deal with that person?

9. What role does the natural world play in your life? Like Suzannah, do you choose to spend time with nature when you need comfort, or to celebrate your solitude, or to enjoy another person, get inspiration, exercise, or relax?

10. Creativity is found in business, parenting, housekeeping, cooking, crafts, music, and art. What changes have a creative pursuit, such as Suzannah's beadwork, made in your life?