READERS GUIDE

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. The book opens with Kate admitting she is “a compulsive reader of the classifieds.” She describes classified ads “as the skeletons of stories, waiting for me to invent their skin.” How did this admission affect your perception of Kate? Was your initial impression confirmed, or did it change as the story unfolded?

2. Who are the Bog Boys and how did they get their name? What is their significance in Kate’s project, and in her life? Do you have or wish you had Bog Boys in your life?

3. At a family Christmas party, Kate stands up and states her intention to move the cottage. She thinks that stating her intentions out loud help with her resolve. Have you ever stated your intention to face a challenge in order to gather courage? Did it help you achieve success?

4. What significance does the chapter on Wish Angels have to the rest of the story? Kate states that “Wish Angels have special ways of knowing.” Did the success of the cottage project hinge on a special way of knowing? Could anyone have done it with similar success?

5. Visiting the cottage colony, Kate returns to “the last little cottage in the row.” After her second tour of that cottage, Kate realizes that she has “fallen deeply, irretrievably in love.” Have you ever become hopelessly entranced with an inanimate object? What did it signify for you?

6. Kate could have purchased a larger cottage with extra features, but she insisted on one in particular. “I want to move a cottage with personality, with history, a cottage that has been loved.” Does knowing that someone loved something make it more special? If you were offered the bigger, better option, would you take it?

7. Town Hall put Kate through her paces with paperwork, hearings, and challenges. She bought the cottage before she had permission for the project. Do you see this as risk or faith? How do faith and risk-taking contribute to our lives?

8. What little item does Kate refer to with affection and wonderment that survives the moving ordeal and remains in place after the cottage is set onto the new foundation? What are other moments of wonder in the story? Do you note these little moments in your life?

9. Could Kate have completed the cottage project as successfully without the support of her friends? What roles do friends play in your life?

10. "The man will arrive when I have room for him.” Kate hopes her expanded home will help her love life. Do you believe there is some truth in this, or do you think it is just wishful thinking?

11. Ed, Kate’s head carpenter, says, “The main thing is to get it over here onto the foundation. Then, we build the connecting passageway, and finally we marry the houses together.” How does this technical description act as a metaphor for the memoir?

12. What are some moments in the story when Kate grapples with being female? Have you ever felt limited or empowered by your gender?

13. How did you react when Kate and Bruce missed seeing the cottage in the Hyannis Airport Rotary? Did you find humor in Cottage for Sale where you least expected it?

14. What is the role of Egypt the cat in Kate’s life? Discuss key moments in the story involving Egypt and how those moments affect Kate’s perceptions of the project and herself. Have you ever had an animal who seemed to be “in charge” of your household?

15. Kate developed a series of individual relationships with the workmen on her project.Which relationships were most familiar to you? Discuss the evolution, differences, or similarities in her relationships with Ed, John, Mr. Hayden, and Vito. Whom among the workmen would you most like to meet, or have work for you?

16. Kate frets over details from the perfect shade of paint to the best blending of construction materials. Can you relate to the need for precision, or are you willing to settle for less?

17. If Kate were not as focused on making careful and harmonious combinations of color, texture, and form, would you have found the story as interesting? What are some of the most striking and memorable passages in the story that deal with sensory and tactile imagery?

18. Might the house-moving/construction project have developed differently if finances hadn’t been an issue? Have you ever made major financial decisions with no room for retreat and no safety net?

19. The ability to imagine possibilities and to see a finished product where there are only ideas is a shared trait between Kate and some of the workmen. Is this a talent or a skill? Do you rely on visual, verbal, emotional, or intuitive traits to carry you through a project? What could have happened to Kate’s project if she had lacked vision?

20. How does sound and imagery play a part in the story? Have you ever read any passages out loud just to hear how the words sounded?

21. Certain events trigger memories within the memoir, which is itself a memory. Did the memories help you get to know or care more about Kate and her cottage project? Did Kate’s memories trigger memories of your own?

22. Did Cottage for Sale stir up any long-latent dreams of yours? Do you feel inspired or empowered to make different life choices as a result of reading this book?

23. Discuss the importance and significance of “home.”

24. Was the ending of the memoir satisfying or do you want to know more about Kate’s life in the “married” cottages? Based on what you know of Kate, speculate about what happened next.

25. Would you recommend this book to other reading groups? How would you describe this book’s effect on you?