The Silent Treatment - Book Club Questions

1.     Does time heal all wounds, or let some fester? Have you ever struggled to have an important conversation with someone?

2.     How can silence be more harmful that the worst fights? In what ways does it change Frank and Maggie?

3.     Frank jokes that he and Maggie are like “chalk and cheese.” How do their personalities complement each other, or not? Why are they so drawn to each other?

4.     What theories did you have about the cause for Frank and Maggie’s silence? Was there one major reason, or many that built up over time?

5.     Frank describes Maggie as “a watercolor painting: from afar, perfect; up close, blurry, messy, a combination of a million hues I never knew existed.” What do you make of his perception, and is it a positive one? Do you think Frank truly understood who Maggie was at her core?

6.     Why do you think Daisy takes such a strong interest in Maggie and Frank? How much of their situation do you think she intuited?

7.     How does the concept of parenthood differ for Frank and Maggie, and how does it change for them throughout the novel?

8.     Why do you think Frank comes to so deeply regret telling Maggie, “If it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be”? How does this sentiment echo throughout the novel?

9.     Why do you think it was Frank’s impulse to hide the extent of Eleanor’s situation from Maggie? Who was he trying to protect—Eleanor, Maggie, or himself?

10.  Was anything left unsaid to Eleanor? Is anyone to blame for what happened? Do you think anything could have made a difference?

11.  How did Frank reading Maggie’s letters change your perception of her and their marriage? Which revelations most surprised you?

12.  Has reading this novel renewed your appreciation for any relationships in your life? What is The Silent Treatment’s message about how we show our loved ones we care?

13.  How do you interpret the last line of the epilogue? How is this a different kind of silence?