Babylon Sisters A Novel

1. "Even then, before I had a clue about how hard it is to actually raise a sane and loving child in a brutally insane, often unlovely world, I knew that was my goal. I wanted to be a good hands-on mother. A rocker was the First step, and I sat in twelve chairs before I found the right one." (p. 17) Catherine wanted to be "a good hands-on mother" so she bought a rocking chair. What did the rocking chair represent for Catherine? Do you think growing up with an unconventional mother and father made her want to embrace the more traditional motherhood symbols even as she herself set out on an equally unconventional path?2. "There is a theory," she said, slowly, "that women's romantic relationships with men are totally shaped by their fathers. If it's a bad relationship, those women will seek out men who are like the father over and over in order to see if they can resolve issues that began in early childhood." (p. 18) Do you think there's any truth to this theory? If so, is there anything women with less than positive relationships with their fathers can do to break the cycle?3. Do you think it was fair for Catherine not to tell B.J. when she decided not to have an abortion? What other ways could she have approached her decision making that might have been better or did she pick the best course of action?4. "I pretended that was Fine with me because I knew his freedom was as important to him as his work, and the idea that he would sacriFice or even modify either one because we happened to fall in love never entered his mind." (p. 20) Catherine admits that she pretended she didn't mind the separation that was looming after she and B.J. Finished college and began to pursue their individual careers. Why do you think she felt the need to pretend rather than share her real feelings with B.J.' Do you think this is a familiar pattern in many romantic relationships and how does it effect their ultimate outcome?5. "My generation is still struggling to Find the balance between love and freedom, sex and romance, family and career. Sometimes we get it right, but more often, we don't." (p. 21) How do you feel about Catherine's observation that her generation is "still struggling" with these important questions? Is this struggle a challenge in your own life? How do you think women address these questions in their daily lives, personally and professionally?6. "As my mother told me once when I was quoting Gloria Steinem as the ultimate authority on all things feminist, 'What you have to understand is that colored women weren'tinvolvedin the women's movement. We were the women who moved!'" (p. 21) What do you think Catherine's mother meant by that? Do you feel that the women's movement changed the lives of American women? Were those changes positive or negative?7. "This is what I get for sending her to private school with a bunch of rich white girls. From what Phoebe says, they talk to their mothers any kind of way, and their mamas let them, but this conversation was over. I stood up." (p. 23) Catherine takes pride in Phoebe's scholastic achievements, but has some ambivalence about her interaction with white female students at NorthField Academy. Do you think African American women relate to their daughters differently than other mothers?8. "A lie is never the best you can do, even when you tell yourself it is. It's a way of buying some breathing room until you can work up enough courage to tell the truth." (p. 24) The necessity to tell the truth even when it's difFicult runsCleage, Pearl is the author of 'Babylon Sisters A Novel', published 2006 under ISBN 9780345456106 and ISBN 0345456106.