READERS GUIDE

A Conversation with Beth Morrey
Clover Hendry’s Day Off is your third novel. What inspired you to write this story? How was writing Clover Hendry’s Day Off similar to or different from writing your previous books?
I started with a question, which was: “What if I could do and say whatever I wanted?” But the person asking that question has never done anything like that before—she’s a people pleaser, someone who bends over backwards to accommodate everyone else, never puts herself first. And then I was thinking about the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, how it all takes place in a day, and the two ideas clashed—an anxious people pleaser who goes rogue, but just for a day. . . . When I decided it had to take place over twenty-four hours, everything clicked into place, and the writing felt quite easy, as it was constrained by the clock. Unlike my last two books, I wrote in the present tense, as I wanted to create a sense of urgency and immediacy. Plus, I allowed myself to be a bit edgier and funnier, to let rip a bit! It was really fun to write.
Clover Hendry’s fun spirit jumps off the page as you read. Is Clover based on a real person? How did you come to craft her character?
It started with me, and my own fantasy. Like Clover, I was a TV producer, and like Clover, I sometimes feel I’m not assertive enough. But when I built a family around her, and gave her a history, she ceased to be me and became her own person. In her forceful phase, she’s much gutsier and more forthright than me. She took on a life of her own and I was . . . sort of riding her like a horse. I could occasionally tweak the direction, but she was galloping along, doing her thing.
Why did you choose for Clover to be forty-six and a mother to twin teens? What do you feel that perspective adds to her character and experience? As a mother, wife, and daughter yourself, did you pull from any of your life experiences when writing Clover Hendry’s Day Off?
I made her my age because I wanted to write about a mad midlife woman like me! I gave her twins because I wanted to overload her. Having two babies at once sounds completely overwhelming in terms of birthing and caring logistics. So I wanted her to have gone through that, as well as other challenging things, and it’s all shaped her, made her the woman she is—that is, ground down, but underneath it all, fearsomely capable. Her being a mother and wife is crucial—both are hard jobs!—but they’re not the only things in her life. Her career is also important, her relationships (romantic and platonic), and her urge to get some peace . . .
Readers may be surprised to learn that you have worked in the television industry designing entertainment and documentary programs. What was that experience like, and what aspects of that career and industry did you want to portray in Clover Hendry’s Day Off?
I loved working in television, it was fascinating and great fun. My job involved coming up with ideas for shows, and then selling those ideas to channels. The environment I worked in was very fast-paced, quite flippant, and sometimes all-consuming, and I wanted to reflect that in Clover’s world. All the shows mentioned in the book are either ideas I worked on (that didn’t get made) or ideas I wanted to develop—so I indulged myself a little there! I was always—and still am—struck by the beauty and simplicity of a great idea that can be summarized in a sentence.
If you could cast Clover Hendry in a movie or TV series, who would play her? What about the other supporting characters? Are there any movies or TV shows that you think give the same energy as Clover Hendry’s Day Off, and that you would recommend to readers?
I always had Reese Witherspoon in mind for Clover—there’s a scene at the end of The Morning Show’s first series, where she and Jennifer Aniston’s character, Alex, take over the airwaves. There’s an anarchic energy and righteousness to that moment that I loved, and I wanted to infuse Clover with some of that zeal and power. Clover’s husband, Robbie, would be played by Paul Rudd, who gets a mention in the book for being a superior human being *wink emoji* . . . And obviously I was hugely inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. We should all be a little more Ferris in our attitude.
Clover Hendry has an empowering day of treating herself, taking chances, and finally getting hers. Have you performed any of the activities Clover experiences in the novel? Are there any you want to do, or wish you could do without any consequences?
Clover’s “One Day” list of things she would like to do, but has never tried, was partly based on my own ambitions—that is, earwax removal and a sleigh ride. I often take myself to a gallery when I have a spare afternoon—I consider it vitally important to spend some time staring at an artwork. As for something I would like to do, without consequences? There are various UK politicians I wouldn’t mind encountering in the street, so I could give them a piece of my mind . . .
Clover Hendry has vital female friendships that have shaped her life. Why do you think female friendships are important? Do you have a best friend, and if so, how have they changed your life?
Obviously, female friendships are extremely important—nourishing, enriching, and FUN. Sometimes you just need another woman’s perspective, to wheeze with laughter over a glass of wine with a mate. I have several close female friends I treasure—I’ve written with them, swum with them, eaten cheese with them, talked into the night with them, got drunk with them . . . where would I be without them? They ensure that, as a mad midlife woman, I don’t go entirely mad. But I also want to mention friendships between those of the opposite sex. Clover has a staunch ally in Petroc and he’s important in terms of giving her a different perspective; sometimes a challenging one. I have some good man-friends (we need a term for this!) and I really value them, too.
Without giving anything away, did you always know how the novel would end?
Not quite. I knew that there would be some sort of confrontation but didn’t know how to engineer it or make it play out, and in fact it was my UK editor who pushed me into working that out in a certain way. And I knew that although Clover would change and grow to an extent, part of her resolution is realizing she’s okay as she is. She says her piece, makes her peace, and moves on.
Although there are many life lessons in Clover Hendry’s Day Off, what is one you want readers to take away from their read?
Take a day off! Go and do something that’s just for you. You deserve it.
What’s next for you?
I’m trying to write my fourth book. I have my big question, a central character, and a massive poodle called Marcus, but the rest is up in the air. I’ll have to see how it falls . . .
Discussion Guide
1.   Clover Hendry’s Day Off examines women’s unpaid labor, and the power that comes with rediscovering yourself at any age. Why do you think it’s important to highlight these types of stories or narratives? What was one lesson you learned from Clover Hendry’s Day Off?
2.   Have you ever taken a day off from your routine—whether that be from work, your family, or other responsibilities—and put yourself first? If you have, what did you learn about yourself from that experience? For Clover, how did this one self-empowering day change her perspective on life?
3.   If you could perform any of the activities or actions Clover does in Clover Hendry’s Day Off, what would they be, and why? Would you invite someone along with you, and if so, who?
4.   As the novel unfolds you come to learn more about Clover and her complicated family dynamics. How did these relationships affect Clover over the years and lead to this moment of self-discovery? Specifically, what did you think of Clover’s relationship with her mother? How did that dynamic shape Clover’s life? If you were Clover, how would you have handled certain hardships Clover faced?
5.   What was your favorite scene in the novel, and why?
6.   In Clover Hendry’s Day Off, Clover is burnt out from being a people pleaser and tired of being taken advantage of in her professional life. Have you ever experienced similar feelings about your career? If so, why, and how did you, or do you, plan to change that situation for the better?
7.   Discuss the importance of female friendships in Clover Hendry’s Day Off. How do they play a role in Clover’s whirlwind day? What do you think is the power and importance of female friendships?
8.   Were there any moments throughout Clover’s day, or feelings she expresses about her life, that you related to? Were there any moments that made you uncomfortable? If so, what were they, and why?
9.   Were you surprised to learn about Clover’s past and what led her to this day of self-discovery? What do you think changed for Clover throughout the novel?
10. What were your thoughts on the ending?