When Lemons Give You Life

Discuss Johnston’s use of alternating perspectives in the novel. Does it complicate the reader’s perspective as the characters’ inner lives and histories are revealed?

Discuss the role of food in the novel. For example, beyond restoring dignity through flavor, does the act of preparing and sharing food challenge the institutional power structures within Sunny Glen? Give examples from the novel to support your argument.

Analyze the novel’s portrayal of the challenges faced by older LGBTQIA+ individuals. Does the novel represent these challenges as a continuation of past prejudices or as a distinct set of modern systemic failures?

Discuss the role of secrets in the novel. To what extent do the secrets kept for protection, such as Lorraine’s refusal of Griff’s kidney, inform the difficult relationship between Griff and Lisa?

Research the final report of Australia’s Royal Commission into Aged Care. How does Johnston’s fictional narrative extend or complicate the report’s real-world findings on elder neglect?

If you have read it, how does Johnston’s portrayal of elderly protagonists and their secrets in this novel compare to her debut, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife (2024)?

How do the secondary male characters, such as Beau, Frank, and Scotty, function in relation to Griff’s distance from Lisa and his initial misanthropy?

How does Lisa’s late-in-life diagnosis of ADHD reshape her understanding of her own past, and to what extent does it determine her agency in the novel’s present?