Ms. Gretchen and Granny Tab occasionally give Tabby conflicting advice. Why does this occur, and which words of wisdom resonate most powerfully with Tabby? Of Granny Tab’s many life lessons, which one does Tabby find to be the most pivotal?

Analyze the setting of Los Angeles. How is the city relevant to the novel’s major themes? Consider Tabby’s mixed feelings about gentrification, and examine how she benefits from economic growth in her childhood neighborhoods even as she loses important aspects of her past at the same time.

Why does Alexis act smug about her marriage and children while she spends time with Laila and Tabby? What societal commentary does the novel provide about the pride and limitations associated with the traditional roles of wife and mother?