One Hundred Years of Betty

Why was Betty’s life so different to that of her mother’s and daughter’s – was it only the era in which they were born that influenced this or were there other factors?

Betty had two lifelong friends – Pearl and Athena. Do you think Betty was as good a friend to them as they were to her?

How were Betty’s, Pearl’s and Athena’s lives shaped by their selection of partners? Would this be different if they had made other choices in their love life or if they had been born in a different era? ‘I can see in retrospect that many of the stories in my novels were sparked by curiosity about what might have happened if there had been some bend in the narrative line of my life, like switching tracks on a railway system. If I’d kept my first baby and come to Australia as a young single mother, if I’d travelled to Italy with Cyrus John O’Farrell, if I’d stayed in Mexico or stuck with Eric Huxtable.’

Which of these alternative paths would you like to have seen Betty explore?

Betty says her ability to write her novels related to finally being in a happy relationship. Why do you think that was?

The most heartbreaking part of living a long life is outliving friends and family. Which character’s death affected you the most?

Betty wrestles with guilt over Mac, at one point wondering if she was to blame for him feeling drawn to The Community. Do you think she’s right – how much influence can parents have over the course of their children’s lives?

The author has said that the character of Betty was inspired in part by her mother and her frustration of being an intelligent woman born too early to use her ability to the full. Do you think Betty achieves her full potential in the end?

How does Betty evolve throughout the novel? In what ways do her experiences and the societal shifts around her influence her character?

The novel has been described as the story of one ordinary extraordinary woman. In what ways do you think Betty’s life was extraordinary?

Who would you cast in a screen adaptation of One Hundred Years of Betty?

If you could be friends with any character from the novel, who would it be and why?

Pick out a passage that strikes you as particularly moving or interesting and read it to the group.

What’s your favourite song on the One Hundred Years of Betty playlist?