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Margaret of Thibodaux
Self-focused and emotional fourteen-year-old Margaret can't imagine her deceased mama being erased from their home for good―or how her daddy could replace her with another woman. It will take coming to terms with her own humility and accountability as surprising truths come to light, and as unexpected events show her that life, and what she holds dear, can change in an instant.
It is 1974, the last carefree, sultry Louisiana summer before high school begins when Margaret Thibodeaux’s world collapses: her daddy asks hometown doctor Muriel to marry him. It's been six years since her mama mysteriously died, and Margaret is convinced that the closer Muriel gets, the less she'll receive bedside visits from her mother—and the more she will fade from their lives.
Set on rejecting Muriel’s kindnesses, Margaret grapples with everyone’s delight over the engagement, including her two best friends, Honey and Robert, who think Muriel is nothing short of an angel. But when Margaret visits her mama’s grave for the first time and finds a poem left there—not in her daddy’s handwriting—the mystery of her mother’s death escalates. It isn't until she befriends the local recluse, Jezebel, who has spiritual gifts akin to her own, that Margaret begins to unravel her assumptions, reconcile her grief, and discover a shocking revelation about her mama from across the veil.
At once humorous and heartbreaking, Margaret of Thibodaux is a captivating Southern story of longing and self-discovery, told from the perspective of a feisty and determined yet vulnerable teenage girl as she learns that love and nurturing can come in the most unexpected packages.
These discussion questions were provided by the publisher, DartFrog Books.
Book club questions for Margaret of Thibodaux by Jo Taylor
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
How would you describe Daddy and Margaret’s relationship? How does it differ from, or how is it similar to, the relationship with your own father?
How does the secretive tone surrounding Mama’s death affect Margaret’s understanding of what happened? Do you think the adults handled it appropriately?
What factors do you think contribute to The Fish being hostile to a young girl?
Why do you think Margaret sees only flaws in Muriel? Do you think Muriel could have approached their relationship any differently?
Margaret’s interior judgments of others are often completely off base. Why do you think this is?
Why do you think Daddy works as a garbage man when he is obviously educated and served in Vietnam?
How does Honey’s experience of grief change her relationship with Margaret? Has grief ever changed your relationship with someone?
What do the swings and the Talking Tree symbolize?
How do you see Jezebel’s role in Margaret’s life? Discuss the ways she is an influence.
Margaret of Thibodaux Book Club Questions PDF
Click here for a printable PDF of the Margaret of Thibodaux discussion questions
“Jo Taylor’s Margaret of Thibodaux is a masterclass in quality fiction writing. At once humorous and deeply touching, elegantly plotted and rich in its construction of the characters, Taylor’s novel is a stunning read by an author at the top of her craft.” —Stephen Dudas, PhD in Literature, Reedsy Discovery
“. . . an intelligent and emotionally gratifying novel. . . . Author Jo Taylor has written a wonderful book with broad appeal.” —Book Review Directory
“. . . its blend of Southern Gothic elements and evocative prose makes for a haunting yet deeply human coming-of-age story. At its core, Taylor’s fiction debut is a story about true friendship, accepting cultural differences, and the unpredictable ways grief shapes—and ultimately frees—us. —BookLife