Book Club Kit
A Conversation with
KRISTAN HIGGINS How would you describe Out of the Clear Blue Sky? I think it’s a universal story for women, especially mothers, about the constant reinvention we have to do. It’s a love story; it’s a coming-of-age-at-forty story; it’s a funny, tangled family story. All the good stuff, in other words.
In your novel, wife and mother Lillie is shocked when her husband asks for a divorce right before their only child graduates high school. What was the inspiration for this story line? Sadly, there was a slew of divorces in my friend circle, and they all seemed to happen at once. One idiot husband did exactly what Brad did—announced he would be leaving the day their kid graduated from high school. Insert the sound of my long, drawn-out sigh. Cape Cod is near to your heart and you set your debut novel there. What made you decide to return to Cape Cod in Out of the Clear Blue Sky? I spent even more time on the Cape the past two years. My dad bought a house up there when I was a kid, and it’s been my heart’s home ever since. There is truly something magical about Cape Cod, and when my daughter decided to have her wedding there, I got to know the town of Wellfleet better. I love the blend of summer people, transplants, and locals living together; I love the winter on Cape Cod, the skies, the sunsets, the constant roar of the ocean. I love the food… I seem to be launching into a tourism commercial, so I’ll stop now.
Photo of Higgins © Declan Keenan 2020
Lillie’s life has centered on her role as wife of Brad, mother of Dylan, and daughter of Pedro, so when her marriage ends abruptly and her child leaves for college, she feels adrift. What compelled you to tackle the “empty nester” experience in this story? Being one. There’s an entire soliloquy ripped from my heart about watching your kids leave the nest… It’s exactly what you’ve worked for all these years, and suddenly, the purpose of your life is kind of… done. You did it. You raised your kid, and they’re adults, and they need you so much less than they once did (or in very different ways), and it does leave a hole. It takes a while to adjust to the fact that they’re figuring out their own problems, dealing with adult things like relationships and jobs and all that. There’s the joy of watching your kid becoming a great adult, but there’s such a poignancy about it, too. Once, you were the center of their world. Now, you’re in the cheering section.
There is truly something magical about Cape Cod
Lillie is understandably shocked, angry, and deeply saddened at the loss of her marriage. Her emotions propel her into some unusual—and sometimes wildly entertaining—behavior. How did you decide on Lillie’s reactions to her new circumstances? I think Lillie does what all betrayed women (and men) fantasize about doing—she gets petty. Can you blame her? Her husband was cheating with a significantly younger woman, and he’s all “I wish you light and peace” while ripping her heart out. Lillie is fierce, and she’s not taking the high road. Not at first. Lillie’s life and experiences are contrasted with those of Melissa, the woman for whom Brad decides to leave his marriage. Like Lillie, Melissa goes through enormous life changes during the novel. Why did you want to portray the experience of the “other woman” and what did you hope to show by revealing her journey? Melissa was a surprise for me. Originally, I hadn’t intended on writing from her point of view, but I was so interested in her, how skilled she was, how she mercilessly took
what she wanted and left her not-so-pretty past behind. I wanted to write about her to understand her and her type—women who take without remorse, who seem devoid of a conscience… but, because I’m me, I had to give her some heart and depth, too. She’s someone who doesn’t really understand what it means to love someone, except for her difficult sister, but she learns during the course of the book. I like to think every woman who’s cheated with a married man will have a revelation about the harm she’s caused. That’s where it’s handy to write fiction. One of themes you explore in the book is female anger and the “alchemizing” power it can have. Tell us more about this. I think Lillie has avoided being angry most of her life, like a lot of us women. If you’re a fan of the X-Men comics and movies, there’s a character named Jean Grey. Jean is so kind, so wonderful, so pretty… but when you push her too far, there’s a blast of power that levels everything. Anger can be liberating and cleansing (and pointless and frustrating and damaging). But so many of us are told to be nice, to get along, to forgive, to stuff down our emotions when they’re not convenient for others. When you get to the point where you can’t do that anymore, there’s a powerful force unleashed, and yeah, it can feel great. It’s like stepping into your power and saying, “Nope. Not anymore” and unleashing that blast to clear the path for a happier and more honest life.
So many of us are told to be nice, to get along, to forgive, to stuff down our emotions when they’re not convenient for others.
Lillie is a midwife and there are a couple touching scenes in the book where she cares for expectant mothers and babies and assists in a birth. What kind of research did you do into midwifery? What was most surprising or impressive?
I interviewed a midwife and the education trainer of a family birthing center. As ever, I try to go to the pros when writing outside of my own experience. And, during the course of my writing this book, my daughter became a labor and delivery nurse, so we shared lots of stories and situations. I think the most surprising thing is the way midwives and L&D nurses are so confident that childbirth is a natural process, and their clients are
the ones doing all the work. There’s a humility in their work… Michelle, the midwife who gave me so much great information, said she doesn’t like the term “delivering a baby.” She says she just catches the baby, and the mama does all the work. And yet, certified nurse midwives are skilled and highly educated healthcare providers—they all have to have a master’s degree and certification in midwifery. If something does require medical intervention, they’re perfectly okay with that, too. The goal is a healthy baby and healthy mother. It’s the perfect blend of science and nature. Also, I watched a lot of YouTube videos, because that’s just how I am. What message do you hope readers will take away from this book? Oh, gosh… I want readers to take away the message that life is long and full of surprises, and the past isn’t always what you thought. Being open, being comfortable in your own skin, finding the right people to lean on, learning to pivot… those are the things that will bring you true happiness.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1.
It’s not uncommon for a marriage to fall apart just as children leave home as young adults. More than one person has been told the week or even day of their youngest child’s graduation from high school that their partner is leaving them. Why do you think that happens? Do you think men initiate a breakup more than women?
2.
Why do you think Lillie married Brad? She thought they had a strong marriage, but in hindsight, she sees things she didn’t before. Was it all bad, or did Brad change?
3.
When Brad tells Lillie he’s leaving her, she keeps eating the coconut cake. Why do you think she does that? And in the middle of their fight, she and Brad both pause to joke about a song they both love. Why do you think that happens?
4.
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. Lillie disagrees and takes bitter delight in some of her actions while Brad is still living at home and after he moves in with Melissa. What did you think about her ways of leaving her mark, so to speak? Was she justified in these actions, or did you think she was being petty?
5.
Melissa is a woman who seems to have no remorse about moving in on another woman’s husband. She’s completely confident that she’ll get Brad, and she’s right. Have you ever known someone like Melissa, who dismisses other people’s feelings in order to get what she wants? Which of Melissa’s qualities did you admire, if any, and why?
6.
Motherhood is a recurring theme in this book. Lillie is well aware that her son is moving away from her both geographically and emotionally—as it should be, she says, but which is a painful experience nonetheless. Her own mother seemed to barely tolerate her. Melissa uses Ophelia almost as a prop, but their relationship changes as well. Hannah has Beatrice, and Lillie adores her mother-in-law. There are so many different mother-child relationships in this book. Which do you think are best and worst, and why?
7.
Lillie’s anger at Brad for leaving her is based on her feeling that the divorce would destroy their family and the family’s future. So many people deal with this changed dynamic after a divorce, from the former in-laws to the kids and grandkids. Did you relate to Lillie’s protectiveness of her family and its future? Could you stay after infidelity to preserve your family? Do you know a couple who’s stayed friends after a divorce?
8.
How did the various Cape settings play a role in the book and affect the characters? Lillie never wanted to live anywhere else; her mother hated the house on Herring Pond and moved to the more glamorous place in Provincetown. Hannah makes a healthy living as a Cape Cod wedding planner; Beatrice leaves after thirty years there. Melissa moves to Wellfleet because she thinks she can stand out more. What did their various views say about the women in this book?
9.
Lillie survives an attempted sexual assault but feels powerless to turn Chase in or even tell anyone about it. With the Me Too movement, so many similar stories have come to light. Do you think things have changed in our culture since Lillie was a teen so that girls feel more empowered to report?
10.
Discuss the way Melissa uses people—her college boyfriend, Dennis; Ophelia; Brad; and others. What were some other choices she could have made, given her background? Does she have more than her looks, despite what she thinks? What does she learn in hindsight, if anything? How does her relationship with Ophelia and Kaitlyn grow during the book? Did you have any sympathy for Kaitlyn?
11.
Brad repeatedly asserts that he deserves joy at the expense of all other considerations, which enrages Lillie. What do you think Brad means by that? Do you think he is entitled to leave the marriage for this reason? Is he more than a cliché of a middle-aged man? Was Lillie as good a partner as she thought?
12.
Why do you think Lillie’s parents got married? How did their marriage affect Lillie’s choices in life and marriage? How do you think it affected Hannah?
13.
Lillie assumes Hannah is perfectly content with her life but finds out that’s not quite true. Have you ever learned something about your sibling or close friend that shocked you?
14.
Lillie and Melissa’s relationship changed a lot over the course of the book. By the end, do you think they were friends, or could become friends? Have you ever known a situation where the first spouse becomes friends with the second?
15.
Later in the novel, Lillie says she likes living alone, which surprises her. What do you think she enjoys? What does she still struggle with? Have you ever lived alone, either by choice or because of someone else’s choice? How did you feel?
16.
The author leads us to believe Lillie will develop a true romantic partnership with Ben after the story ends. But does she need that to be happy? Do you think the novel ends happily for her as it is?
17.
Many characters in this book do things that anger other characters, but most of them are forgiven by the end in one way or another. What about Melissa and her sister, Kaitlyn? In the end, though Melissa loves her, she does not forgive her or find a way to have an ongoing relationship with her. Why do you think that happened? Do you think there are some people you just can’t mend fences with? Why?