We All Live Here

Explore the role of female friendship in Lila’s growth journey. Consider how her relationships with Eleanor, Jane, Jessie, and Anoushka influence her throughout the novel. How would her character arc differ without these relationships?

The novel explores the Challenges and Rewards of Family Life. Craft an analytical essay that explores how Lila’s home life both overwhelms and buoys her. Consider Moyes’s subtextual commentaries on a woman’s relationship to home and family spheres—particularly in light of Lila’s concurrent writing life.

Craft an argument that either refutes or supports the following claim: Gene is a dynamic character. How do the characters see him at the start of the novel, and why? How does he behave and what do his actions suggest about his intentions?

Compare and contrast Jensen’s and Gabriel’s characters. How do each of their characters impact Lila? What do their differences and/or similarities teach Lila about love and companionship?

Explore how Lila’s past continues to impact her in the present. Consider her relationship with Francesca and response to Francesca’s death, her relationship with Dan and response to their divorce, and her relationship with Gene and response to his return. Does she reconcile with the past? Why or why not?

Compare and contrast how Lila sees herself as a mother versus how she sees herself as a writer. Consider how she interacts with her daughters, as well as how she regards her first book and current manuscript. How might the disparities and/or crossovers between Lila’s maternal and authorial identities relate to contemporary gender politics and stereotypes?

Repeated descriptions of Lila’s house appear throughout the novel. Explore the effect of this setting on the novel’s mood and atmosphere and the characters’ psyches. What might the house symbolize? How do changes in the house relate to the characters’ changes?

The author incorporates book excerpts, text messages, and email exchanges throughout the narrative. How do these tangential forms of story and communication nuance the narrative mood and/or relate to the narrative’s progression and pacing? Are such passages literary devices, and what do they accomplish?