Good-Bye and Amen
Book Club Suggestion

Book Club Suggestion: Good-Bye and Amen

When the Moss siblings get together at their childhood home for a final goodbye to their venomous, and now departed, mother, they had no idea their time together would be fraught with harbored resentment and hurt feelings.

Sydney Moss, mother to Eleanor, Monica, and Jimmy, set up a "lottery" system for her children to use when dispersing her estate. Even in death she figured out an effective way to pit her children against each other.

As items (like Aunt Nina's piano and Papa's boat The Rolling Stone) are selected, the siblings begin to fall into a deep despair over the way things are going, except Jimmy who seems pretty laid back about everything. But don't be fooled because his wife Jossilyn takes up the indignation over what they DON'T get for him.

The story continues, providing glimpses into the past and current life of these children and grandchildren all sprouting from the Moss family tree. When things begin to fall apart in a few key members lives, the problem of how far a brother or sister will go to save their sibling is the thing truly at stake.

Book Club Suggestion: Good-Bye and Amen Opinion

A delightful tale of the family caste system, with roots in old stories like the Prodigal Son. Eleanor, Monica, and Jimmy are very unique characters with very different lives. The common thread that links them is the fact that they all grew up in a household in which their mother made them feel inferior, second-best, or smothered depending on her mood any given day.

The real coup de grace in the story is Normal Faithful. He manages to touch, and not necessarily in a positive way, the lives of everyone connected to the Moss family. Whether he's charming or belittling, pompous or humble, he's a true character. Even his children have trouble being in the same room with him from time to time. It was admirable that Beth Gutcheon was able to write such a deplorable character with such obvious love for his failings. Sometimes I even found myself feeling sorry for ol' "Normal."

The format of the novel is quite unique as well. Beth tells the story from many different points of view which is confusing at first and especially if you're not paying attention to who is narrating. However, once you're a few pages in you'll get so lost in the family drama that you'll have no trouble remembering each outrageous character's name!

Book Club Suggestion: Good-Bye and Amen Discussion Questions

1. Who is your favorite character? Why? Least favorite? Why?
2. Discuss the irony of Norman's last name.
3. How would you feel if your mother designed a "lottery" to handle the disbursement of her things after she died?

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