Introduction

In this stirring new collection, Ronna Wineberg explores our essential bonds to partners, children, parents, and friends. Intimacy, marriage, parenthood, adultery, divorce, and the legacies left by the past unfold in these beautifully written stories. Men and women search for happiness and love, yet face longing, disappointment, and loss. The characters in Nine Facts That Can Change Your Life struggle with unexpected changes in their own lives but discover the power of kindness, the joy of connection, and the ways in which we can be renewed.

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Excerpt

BARE ESSENTIALS


The room had just the bare essentials: a king-sized bed, desk, armchair, a dresser and coffeemaker, and, of course, a bathroom. It was in a functional hotel, but the space had everything a traveler needed. Todd and I met there three or four times a year, some years more, some years less, in a city where I once lived. I’ve lived in so many places: Chicago, Boston, Detroit, LA, even London. The exact location of the hotel doesn’t matter. It could be anywhere. We had all we needed there. The place was without frills or pretension, without art or sentimental personal objects. It was bare enough to make room for passion. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the major themes in Nine Facts That Can Change Your Life.

2. What role do secrets play in the characters’ lives? In people’s lives in general? What role does loneliness play? Desire?

3. The book explores marriage from different perspectives. What are the joys, limitations, and challenges of marriage as described here?

4. Some of the characters have love affairs. How do the affairs affect those involved in them? How do the affairs affect other people?

5. The book also explores divorce. What are the different characters’ reactions to divorce? What is the emotional cost of divorce?

6. Letters, notes, and writing appear in the book. What do the characters learn from pieces of writing? Does writing or reading others’ writing help the characters come to terms with their lives? Or does the writing of others’ bring up more questions than answers?

7. What do the stories tell the reader about the past? Does the past have a place in the present? Are there dangers in forgetting what happened earlier in one’s life? Are there dangers in allowing the past to dominate the present?

8. In the story, “Adjustment”, the narrator writes: “The idea of home seemed more elusive and important than ever.” What is the role of a home in the book?

9. How do the men and women in Nine Facts That Can Change Your Life deal with difficulties and traumas? Are they able to overcome adversity?

10. What is the role of mourning in the stories?

11. What does the final story, “A Celebration of the Life of the Reverend Edward Henry Jamison”, tell the reader about family relationships, the passage of time, and love?

12. Why was the book titled: Nine Facts That Change Your Life? Discuss how the title reflects the book’s themes.

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»	Q&A with the author
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