For book club this month, we’re jumping to the future—and then heading back into the past—with Jodi Lynn Anderson’s Midnight at the Electric. Y’all, the storytelling in this book is incredibly special and unique, and I have no doubt you’ll be swept into the sprawling tale that follows three generations of fierce, dynamic women. Let’s just say there is PLENTY to discuss, so please note that after the icebreaker, there be spoilers ahead!
Icebreaker
Lenore wrote letter after letter to Beth to try to reach her. Have you had a friendship where written (including email obvs) correspondence played a vital role?
Questions
Unfolding generations, Jodi Lynn Anderson weaves a story within a story within a story. Which of the three narratives were you most drawn to and why?
What did you think about Beth and Lenore’s friendship?
Did you guess the twists? Alternatively, which reveal surprised you the most?
Was the author able to help you relate to or connect with Adri, even though, in her own words, she’s “too blunt, too standoffish and distant, a little mean”?
Adri’s story is set in 2065, when water levels have made cities like Miami and NYC mostly uninhabitable, and Earth is sending colonists to Mars. Did you find this future, which isn’t so far away, believable?
From the factory conditions in Lenore’s world to the dust bowl of Canaan to the climate change damage witnessed by Adri, Jodi Lynn Anderson traces the environmental damage humanity has inflicted on the planet. Did you find this compelling or heavy handed or ?
Do you think Ellis left Canaan to meet Cathy in England?
