“Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own” by Kate Bolick – Book Club Question

courtesy of Penguin Random House

Have you heard about this great book yet?  It just came out in April 2015 so its pretty new by my book reading standards.  Kate ties her life into this book by evaluating the possibilities of living her life while remaining single.  She brings in short chapter-size bios of woman from generations, if not decades past, to compare there lives to modern single women’s today.  Its not a quick read and somewhat verbose, but makes you think differently about the way we choose our paths in life and the enlightening life that most woman even in this advance culture do not choose first.

Here are my Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own by Kate Bolick – Book Club Question:

1. We all know at least one woman who is living the single life.  Do you feel that Kate Bolick’s portrayal of the “choice” of being single is true.  Do you feel that there are more woman who end up single vs. ones that chose too be single?
2. What do you picture when you hear the word “Spinster”?  Why do you feel that Kate called the book Spinster vs. another title?
3. Was there any aspects of this book’s “spinsters” that you related too?
4. Kate Bolick goes into extensive detail on the different lifestyles of specific single woman during different times in U.S. history.  Do you feel that learning more about these women has made you better understand the lifestyle?
5. On the same note of historical looks at “spinsters” do you feel that our society has made progress on how we view woman who do not choose the traditional path of marriage and/or motherhood?
6. Have you ever thought about the life of single woman before you read this book?  Why or why not?
7. After looking at other peoples’ reviews of the books I have come to the conclusion that some people love this book or, on the opposite side of the scale, they do not find it as so great.  What about the book made you decide if you enjoyed it or not?
8. I think that one of Kate’s missions in this book is to have some readers better understand and respect a life much different than there own?  Do you feel she was successful in that for you?
9. What portions of the book stuck with you?
10. Would you recommend this book to others?