Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details about Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen. Finish the book before reading on.
- Rise and Shine starts with Bridget telling us how she answers people who ask why she lives in New York City. What role does New York play in the novel? Do you think the problems Bridget describes (both the socialite culture and the problems of the projects in the Bronx) are unique to New York? Did you enjoy all the commentary on New York in the novel?
- How does Bridget see her role in her family at the beginning of Rise and Shine? How does her role and her view of herself change by the end of the novel?
- What impression do you get of Meghan from the way she interacts with Bridget? Can you see her as a morning show celebrity?
- Do you think that if a morning show celebrity or other journalist made the same mistake Meghan made, uttering those two words, that his or her career would be over? Were the repercussions of her actions in the novel believable?
- Why do you think Meghan ran off to Jamaica for so long?
- How does Bridget's job in the Bronx contrast with Meghan's life? Which sister is more successful? How do you measure success?
- Do you think Meghan saved her career at Leo's expense or do you think her interaction with the gunman was genuine?
- What is the significance of the title, Rise and Shine? Who rises and shines in this novel?
- Rate Rise and Shine on a scale of 1 to 5.
