The Dog Year (25 page)

READERS GUIDE

The Dog Year

1.
What is the significance of Lucy's kleptomania in the story? After suffering a crippling loss, she does not turn to alcohol or drugs, but to the thrill of stealing. Why do you think the author chose to write about a character whose husband and child were taken from her, but who then takes things that aren't hers?

2.
How do Mark's and Lucy's adolescent selves affect—or even misinform—their illusions of their adult selves? Are we all still versions of the class clown, the overachiever, or the wallflower?

3.
What kind of impact does Sara have on Lucy's life plans? How might Mark and Lucy's “happy ending” have differed if Sara were not a part of their unconventional family?

4.
Even though Lucy does not have a “problem” with drinking, a drunken night leads to self-reflection and attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Why do you think the author chose to have Lucy unravel in this manner?

5.
What is the significance of Stewart's inability to get aphorisms right? What might his accidental edits to common phrases say about his character?

6.
The author chooses to set all of the major losses in the novel—the car accident that results in the loss of Lucy's husband, Richard, and her unborn baby, as well as Claire's death from cancer—offstage. Why do you think the author made this choice? How is the aftermath of the deaths more important than the deaths themselves?

7.
The AA group is ultimately united at the dog park, and they share not only their various addictions, but also their love of dogs. How are dogs able to be agents of unity and healing in a way that people are not?

8.
Lucy's real name is “Luscious,” but she is embarrassed to admit it, let alone be called by it. How is her resistance to this name reflected in her character and her attitude toward her own attractiveness and sexuality?

9.
At the opening of chapter seven, the narrator comments that, “Getting in to see a particular physician at a health-care clinic is like trying to train a cat to come: It will only come to you on its own time.” What had to “come to Lucy on its own time,” and what was she able to actively seek out and embrace?

10.
The theme of human frailty is ever-present in the book, manifesting itself through incidents of cancer, alcoholism, disordered eating, and MS. As a doctor, Lucy should in theory be the ultimate combatant of these diseases. How does Lucy's job as a physician make her stronger and more prepared in the face of human frailty? How might it blind or handicap her?

11.
What is the significance of Lucy's visit to Sidney's home? How does her deeper understanding of Sidney's situation change her perspective and her course of action?

12.
Were you surprised to learn that Lucy would carry Richard's child? How might this change the dynamic in Mark and Lucy's family, for better or worse?

13.
Charles and Phong are reliable constants in Lucy's otherwise unstable life. Where do you see fissures in their generally stable relationship? How might Charles and Phong also be struggling with difficulties of their own? Do we see Lucy offer them the same kind of support they offer her? If so, how?

14.
Where do we see Lucy change her life course after the accident, admit frailty, and let others into her life?