Introduction

For fans of Beautiful Ruins and Lessons in Chemistry, a novel set at a 1950s Reno "divorce ranch," about the complex friendship between two women who dare to imagine a different future

"A delicious literary page-turner from a fierce new voice.” —Rebecca Makkai

"The sunshot pool at the Golden Yarrow, the searing desert heat, the dark glamour of the casinos will stay with me for a long time...An excellent, deeply compelling read.” —Lauren Groff

Lois Saunders thought that marrying the right man would finally cure her loneliness. But as picture-perfect as her husband is, she is suffocating in their loveless marriage. In 1951, though, unhappiness is hardly grounds for divorce—except in Reno, Nevada.

At the Golden Yarrow, the most respectable of Reno’s famous “divorce ranches,” Lois finds herself living with half a dozen other would-be divorcees, all in Reno for the six weeks’ residency that is the state’s only divorce requirement. They spend their days riding horses and their nights flirting with cowboys, and it’s as wild and fun as Lake Forest, Illinois, is prim and stifling. But it isn’t until Greer Lang arrives that Lois’s world truly cracks open. Gorgeous, beguiling, and completely indifferent to societal convention, Greer is unlike anyone Lois has ever met—and she sees something in Lois that no one else ever has. Under her influence, Lois begins to push against the limits that have always restrained her. But how much can she really trust her mysterious new friend? And how far will she go to forge her independence, on her own terms?

Set in the glamorous, dizzying world of 1950s Reno, where housewives and movie stars rubbed shoulders at gin-soaked casinos, The Divorcees is a riveting page-turner and a dazzling exploration of female friendship, desire, and freedom.

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Discussion Questions

From the publisher:

1. What do you make of the immediate connection between Lois and Greer, from their first meeting? Given Greer’s actions, do you see that relationship as one-sided on Lois’s part, or do you think Greer was genuinely drawn to Lois, too? Explain.

2. Why do you think Rita and Lois have such a testy relationship? Why does Lois struggle to make friends in Lake Forest and at the Golden Yarrow, until meeting Greer? How do things change for her in Los Angeles?

3. Lois is haunted by her mother’s unhappiness as a wife and mother and doesn’t want to repeat her mistakes. Discuss their relationship, as you understand it, and the effect it continues to have on Lois.

4. Greer says of Rita, “She pretends she cares about us, but she’s practically another husband, trying to control our every thought and move.” Do you agree? Both Rita and Greer are magnetic figures at the Golden Yarrow, with strong ideas about how the other women should act. Compare and contrast their worldviews and the advice they give. Overall, do you think they have a positive or negative impact at the ranch?

5. Greer convinces Lois to follow through on their planned heist by appealing to their shared nature: “I need this, Lois. I have nowhere to go back to, really, just like you. We want the same thing. I sensed it that first day I saw you in the pool, how easily you could hold your breath and plunge to the bottom. It was almost like you didn’t care if you ever came to the surface.” Do you agree that Greer and Lois “want the same thing”? What is that thing, if so? Do you think Greer ever meant to go ahead with the heist, or was she always leading Lois on? Explain.

6. In what format did you read The Divorcées? Bailey Carr narrated the audiobook. How do you think Bailey’s voice translates the detailed descriptions of setting and the conversations between the characters? Did you imagine one’s voice to sound differently? How?

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