Book Discussion Questions

MRS. LIEUTENANT: A WOMEN’S FRIENDSHIP NOVEL

By Phyllis Zimbler Miller

To arrange for Phyllis to speak to your book discussion group via skype, email pzmiller@gmail.combook cover of Mrs. Lieutenant

  1. Sharon, Kim, Donna and Wendy arrive at Ft. Knox during the Vietnam War just after the Kent State National Guard shootings and during President Nixon’s two-month incursion into Cambodia. From the news items at the beginning of each chapter and your knowledge of the Vietnam War, what are the differences in public opinion today regarding Iraq in comparison to public opinion in 1970 about the Vietnam War?
  2. Donna grows up as an “army brat” in an enlisted man’s family.What adjustments does she have to make as the wife of an officer?  What do the “Mrs. Lieutenant” quotes at the beginning of each chapter demonstrate about the expectations of an officer’s wife at that time?
  3. U.S. Army units had only been integrated since the Korean War in 1950, while the Civil Rights Act was only six years old in 1970. Do Wendy’s parents have realistic concerns as to how Wendy and Nelson could be treated at Ft. Knox? Do legislative changes automatically change people’s prejudices?
  4. Wendy is not the only one worried about prejudice due to her skin color. Donna has experienced such discrimination as a child on army posts. However, Donna grew up as the daughter of an enlisted man and now she is the wife of an officer. Will her new role change the way she is treated? Does a person’s social status affect the degree of discrimination she may experience?
  5. Sharon and her parents are concerned that Sharon will be uncomfortable in an environment in which there may be few Jews. In 1970 it was a reasonable concern to worry about Sharon and Robert interacting with people who had never before known Jews. Has the age of the internet made it easier for people to know about and accept others who are different from themselves?
  6. Kim’s background does not prepare her for standing up to her husband’s false accusations that she is always “looking for” other men. Is Sharon realistic to expect Kim to try to convince her husband of her faithfulness?
  7. Is Susanna’s background responsible for her belief that her young daughter is willful rather than Susanna even considering the child might be deaf? How have opinions changed since 1970 regarding discovering and addressing disabilities in young children?
  8. What did you learn from the book about the differences in the army’s view of officers and enlisted men in 1970? Do you think that it is reasonable for Mark Williamson to agree to return to Vietnam in exchange for becoming an officer?
  9. When Sharon, Kim, Donna and Wendy are brought together at Ft. Knox in the spring of 1970, they have to face their own prejudices against people of different races and religions. How have prejudices based on race and religion changed since 1970?
  10. In 1970 the draft brought young men from diverse walks of life into the army’s melting pot. Today’s all-volunteer army has a disproportionate percentage of men and women from small towns and rural areas. What benefits might there be if the U.S. re-instituted a draft? Should such a draft include both men and women?

To arrange for Phyllis to speak to your book discussion group via skype, email pzmiller@gmail.com

Listen below to author Phyllis Zimbler Miller explain why MRS. LIEUTENANT is excellent for book club discussions.