Conversation with the author Discussion Questions Playlist Madeline Recipe
Book Club Kit
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A Conversation with Beth Morrey
1. What inspired you to write this story? There was a YouTube clip that went viral a few years ago. It was a
running race with a cash prize and a few intriguing conditions. The young people taking part stood in a line, but were allowed to move
their starting position forwards if they fulfilled certain criteria—for example, if their parents were together, if they’d never gone hungry, if they had a private education…. Those people had a head start in the
race and were more likely to win it. That got me thinking about the things that can hinder you in life, and I imagined creating a character
who started out OK, but her circumstances changed, and that impacted her prospects, her ambition and potential. So, my protagonist
is someone with great talent and ability, but her life was derailed as
a teenager, and the story is about her getting back on track, believing in herself again.
2. Delphine and Em’s relationship is enviable in that they are best friends and support each other. What was the inspiration for this mother and daughter dynamic? Delphine was a teenage single mum, which means she and Em are not that far apart in age, and Em is exceptionally intelligent and mature, so they have an unusual dynamic. They have a very close relation-
ship, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Initially at least, Delphine is ground down by life, and is kind of leaving Em to her own devices.
The story is as much about Delphine learning to be a mother as it is about Delphine becoming her own woman.
3. Delphine’s story is very much shaped by her education. What connection do you have to academics and literature, and why do you think it’s an important part of Delphine’s growth? I believe passionately in the power of education to transform lives and
think that in recent years it’s been devalued. There was a politician in
the UK who said, “We’ve had enough of experts.” I haven’t! I love experts! I value expertise, knowledge, learning, books. I studied at Cam-
bridge University and relished the sense of history there, of standing on the shoulders of giants. That’s not to say other qualities aren’t important—love, tolerance, kindness—but I wanted to write something that celebrated education and the opportunities it offers.
4. Who is your favorite character in the novel, and why? It’s got to be Letty. She was one of those characters who sprang into
existence fully formed—I could just hear her voice in my head so ef-
fortlessly, and she was really fun to write. She kept telling me things about herself that I found surprising and hilarious. She had a very colorful love life….
5. As a mother, was there any part of Delphine’s experience that you related to? For the mothers reading Delphine Jones Takes a Chance, is there anything you hope they connect to from the novel? I am not a single mother, but when I had children and realized what backbreaking effort is required to raise them, it left me full of ad-
miration for what single mothers do—coping with the responsibility,
the pressure, the loneliness. I wanted to write a story that reflected
the struggle but also offered hope. I’d like readers to connect with
Delphine’s frustration but also be heartened by her triumphs.
There’s light at the end of the tunnel, if you’re brave enough to venture out.
6. Why do you feel it was important to include Delphine rediscovering her passions while finishing her education? I think education is a broad spectrum and includes all sorts of things that don’t happen in a
classroom. It’s about broadening your mind, embracing opportu-
nity, learning new skills. Delphine
re-learns French, rediscovers her
musical roots, gets into cooking—
There’s light at the end of the tunnel, if you’re brave enough to venture out.
all enriching and life-affirming expe-
riences. I’m into the idea of hobbies;
we spend so much time on screens that
I wonder if hobbies are dying out. As a child,
I used to play the piano—I got to Grade 8, but then
stopped as an adult and always think that one day I might take it up
again, but whenever I try to play, my kids scream at me. I recently
got into wild swimming, which I love, and it’s so good to have a new focus, to try something totally different and scary that challenges me.
7. Delphine has such a rich community of people around her that open her world up. How did you come to craft these unique characters, and who was your favorite to write? Like I said, I really enjoyed writing Letty. It was not like writing at
all—more like taking dictation from her in my head. Dylan was also
fun, because he’s grumpy and Welsh, and I got to play around with the
Welsh language. I have Welsh heritage so that felt important to me, and I’m pretty grumpy on occasion too. And Em, Delphine’s daughter,
is a really vital character for me, because she represents the future— a sense of optimism, buoyancy and purpose. But she’s super-manipulative and slightly ruthless too, so I liked exploring that side of her.
8. What do you feel is special about Dylan and Delphine’s connection? Was there a character trait of Dylan’s you felt was essential to highlight in the novel? What I wanted with Dylan and Delphine was to create a romance that wasn’t a romance in the traditional sense. I don’t want to give
anything away, but there are no white weddings or passionate declarations—it’s not undying true love like you see in fairy tales. That
might be disappointing for some, but for me it’s a positive. Delphine has so much going on—her family relationships, new friends, pursu-
ing an education, building a career, searching for a home, enjoying
her new skills, and rediscovering old ones, that romance is just one of the things in a busy, rich life. And I think that’s how it should be.
Crucially, Dylan respects that, which is why, ultimately, he’s so lovely, despite his grumpiness.
9. Without giving anything away, did you always know how the novel would end? Not really. It evolved naturally, and I played around with the pri-
orities. What was most important to Delphine? Because that would
be the thing that resolved last. When I plan a novel, I know certain things—good and bad—that will probably happen, but I leave the rest
open-ended and let things develop naturally, allowing my characters to direct me, just seeing how it goes. I find that to be a more organic, authentic process, but all writers are different—look at Lee Child, he doesn’t plan at all and his books are amazing.
10. What’s next for you? I’m writing my third book! This is how I do it: I plan for months in my head, getting to know characters, working out
vague plot points, trying to feel my way into
a mood. I make hardly any notes. Then I write a “dirty” draft really quickly,
... romance is just one of the things in a busy, rich life ...
instinctively, without thinking much
at all. I edit roughly along the way, then put it to one side for a bit. I go back to it after a few weeks and
think really hard about it, analyze it, work out what’s wrong, what
could be improved. Then I revise
it, over and over again, getting to
more and more minute details as I
go along. One day I will love it and
the next I will hate it—there’s noth-
ing I can do about either of those things other than carry on.
My new book is a little different from my first two—a
bit funnier, edgier, and darker. It’s about burnout, and people-pleas-
ing, and a very sudden and dramatic volte-face. Frankly, it’s pretty mad, and what’s coming out my head is unhinged. But I’m just chuck-
ing the clay on the potter’s wheel at the moment. I’ll sculpt it into something good later—hopefully….
Discussion Questions 1. In what ways do you feel the decisions you made when you were younger impacted who you have become as an adult? How is this true for Delphine, and how is this true in your own life? 2. What do you think lies at the core of Delphine and Em’s relationship? What aspects of it do you think are good and bad? How would you compare your relationship with your parents to Delphine and Em’s? 3. Discuss the effect teachers can have on their students’ lives. In Delphine’s case, was this a positive or negative influence, or both? Was your life changed by a teacher? If so, how? 4. What was your favorite scene in the novel, and why? 5. Why do you think Delphine is drawn to Dylan and vice versa? What do you think each person brings out in the other?
6. If you were Em, how would you have reacted after learning about your father? Do you think Em responded appropriately for the situation? Why or why not? 7. If Delphine had told Em her secret earlier, do you think that would have changed the story? Do you think Delphine was right to keep that information from Em for as long as she did? Why or why not? 8. There are a myriad of unique and colorful characters Delphine interacts with throughout the novel. Which one was your favorite, and why? In what way do you feel they made an impact on Delphine’s life? 9. What lessons do you think Delphine learned by the end of the novel? Feel free to share if you learned any of these same lessons in your life, and how it shaped who you are today. 10. What were your thoughts about the ending?
Delphine Jones Takes a Chance Playlist La Vie en Rose Edith Piaf Pennies from Heaven Frank Sinatra Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered Ella Fitzgerald Fine & Mellow Billie Holiday Rolling in the Deep Adele Solitude Nina Simone Curated by thank u next Ariana Grande Beth Summertime Sam Cooke Morrey Don’t Know Why Norah Jones At Last Etta James Scan the QR code to listen on Spotify:
Madeline Recipe Yields 30-36 Ingredients:
150g sugar 150g self-raising flour 125g melted butter
Method:
3 eggs 8g vanilla sugar (I tend to use half a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste instead)
Lemon zest
• Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius • Mix sugar and eggs and vanilla sugar until the mix whitens. Stir in the lemon zest. • Alternate adding flour and melted butter and mix well. • Rest the mix in the fridge for half an hour if you have time— it helps the madeleines rise when baking) • Butter and flour madeleine tins. Fill with the mixture. If you don’t have a madeleine tin, then you could use a muffin pan or cupcake papers. • Bake for approx. 9-10 minutes. • Voilà!