Both Sides Now

Synopsis

1. Rebecca and Liza have different ideas and feelings about breast cancer. Rebecca wants her family to see the changes in her personality and the ways in which she is stronger now. Liza is afraid to talk about her mother’s illness. Discuss the reasons for these different responses. How would you feel? 2. Liza feels anxious when her mother talks about cancer. Liza describes the “panic rising . . . like a siren that’s going off” and the need to stop her mother from elaborating on her fear of dying. (p. 138) Why do you think Liza resists these discussions? 3. How would you describe Liza’s reaction in the wig store? Why is she afraid to lose control of her emotions? 4. Rebecca describes Liza as “holding on too tight, trying to hold on to something that’s not there any longer.” (p. 132) How are Liza’s actions affecting her emotionally? 5. What function do the characters of Richard, Mr. Sorenson, Rory, Emma, and Beverly serve in the story? How do they represent part of Liza’s other world, outside her home life? 6. When Rebecca tells her family she does not want the stem-cell transplant, Liza realizes, “We thought we’d been protecting her for years. That’s what Dad had told me, and that’s what I’d thought. But maybe it wasn’t nearly that simple. . . . I wonder how much Mom’s protected me without my knowing it.” (p. 199) What does Liza recognize now about her mother’s strength of spirit? 7. “I feel as if I’ve been picked up and shaken and thrown back down to earth. And now I have to put things back together.” (p. 202) What do you think of Rebecca’s description of her experience as a breast cancer survivor? How does this relate to Liza’s feelings? 8. How does the ending make you feel? Discuss the ways Liza and Rebecca are better equipped to talk with each other after honestly discussing breast cancer. 9. Do you know someone with breast cancer? Have you ever discussed your family history?

Copyright:

2000

Book Details

Book Quality:

Excellent

Book Size:

224 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780440229339

Publisher:

Random House Children's Books

Date of Addition:

08/31/20

Copyrighted By:

Ruth Pennebaker

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Children's Books, Literature and Fiction

Grade Levels:

Ninth grade

Reading Age:

14 and up

Submitted By:

Daproim Africa

Proofread By:

Daproim Africa

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.