1.Adriana wrote that she was able to write DON’T SING AT THE TABLE because her grandmothers “never threw anything away --- clothing, bank records, contracts, wills, newspaper clippings, photographs.” What did your grandmothers pass down to you? What can those items tell you about the way they lived their lives?

2.Adriana wrote of Lucia, “No one ever in the course of my entire life was ever as happy to see me as she was. Looking back now, I realize that you only ever need one person who lights up that way when you enter a room. One person is all it takes to give a kid confidence.” Who was that person for you?

3.Is craftsmanship valued as much today as it was in Viola and Lucia’s time? What has changed?

4.Adriana recalled “Venetian eggs” --- poached eggs in homemade tomato sauce with fresh dandelion --- as one of her favorite meals Viola made her. What are some of your favorite meals your grandmothers made you?

5.In what ways were Viola and Lucia different? In what ways were they similar? Do you recognize aspects of your own grandmothers in them? Do you recognize aspects of yourself?

6.Adriana and her sisters still wear Viola’s coats. Do you wear any of your grandmothers’ clothing or jewelry? What did they teach you about style and beauty?

7.Adriana wrote, “Our family stories have it all: risk, adventure, romance and intrigue. The places my grandmothers came from were described in stories they told.” What is a favorite story your grandmother told?

8.Lucy and Viola only met once. Though “they held one another at a respectful distance, there was an underlying camaraderie”. What was the relationship between your grandmothers?

9.Which “life lessons” described in DON’T SING AT THE TABLE do you value most? Did your grandmothers pass down any of the same advice to you?

10.What are your rules for living? Do you share any with Viola and Lucia?