1. Why do you think the Red Hats have stayed friends for so long? Give at least three specific reasons. What's different about their relationships compared to friendships that don't last?

2. Discuss the role that loyalty and acceptance have played in the interactions between the characters.

3. Which of the Red Hats is your favorite, and why? Which woman is your least favorite, and why?

4. Many women choose to "look the other way" in troubled marriages. Do you think there were signs of Diane's husband's affair before the incident with the note? If so, why do you think she chose to overlook them? And why do you think she finally made the choice to confront the truth?

5. How do you feel about Georgia's expectations (or lack of them) for her marriage? At the end of the book, how do you feel about her chances for real happiness with John?

6. One of the main themes of the book is that it's never too late to make positive choices in our lives as women. What positive choices do the Red Hats make? Would you have chosen differently?

7. Another main theme of the book is the power women have when they choose to accept and support each other without qualification in a culture that conditions women to tear each other down both personally and professionally. Are there any positive examples of that support in your life? Share those as a group.