Reading Guide for Life on Loan

Life on Loan explores many of the issues middle-aged people face such as moving on after death and divorce, coping with aging parents, reinventing oneself after children leave the nest. Discuss these themes as they pertain to your own lives.

Have you ever encountered an old friend after many years and picked up where you left of as Lena and Olivia did when they met at the airport lounge?

How did you feel about the way Jade treated Lena as her photography assistant? Did her brash demeanor alarm you at first?

Have you ever thought about moving to a new town and starting over? Which town would you choose? How did you relate to the characters in this regard?

Alistair struggles with moving on from his comfortable, low-key life to moving back to New York and picking up where he left off when his wife became ill. Where do you think those struggles arise from?

Discuss middle age and how it comes into play in the decisions the characters made?

Were you surprised when Lena was arrested? How did you think it would play out?

Friendships in middle age can be complicated. How did this affect your thoughts when everyone came together in support of Lena?

What do you think gave Lena and Olivia the courage to make the change they made in their lives?

How did Alistair’s relationship with Olivia give him the courage to start living again?

Olivia and Lena both had strained relationships with their daughters before they took steps to change their lives. How did their daughters react to their mothers’ new strengths and changes? Do you think that either of the daughters made/or will make changes to their own lives and their relationships with their parents and the men in their lives?

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