Annie tells Maya that they are ultimately more responsible for the accident than Ellie is. She teaches writing at Columbia University. Her non-fiction and criticism has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, The LATimes, The New Republic, and elsewhere. Did you like the novel’s leaps back and forth in time? Why or why not? Why do you think the author chose this structure over a traditional linear narrative?ġ1. Lynn Steger Strong is the author of the novels Hold Still, Want, and Flight. Explore how women and men relate to one another in the novel.ġ0. Stephen and Maya’s fragile marriage begins to buckle under the weight of tragedy Ellie uses sex as an escape stolen glances and shared desires blur the lines of infidelity. Do you see them too? How do Ellie and Maya view one another, both before the accident and after?ĩ. Benny often sees similarities between his mother and sister. How does Strong portray the reality, the ideal, and the meaning of parenthood? Are they the same for all of the parents in the novel?Ĩ. Why does she run? How do these two sides of her fit together?ħ. She is also an avid runner who enjoys pushing her body to its limits.

Maya has always escaped into books when the real world was too overwhelming. What role does communication (or lack thereof) play in the novel? What thoughts do the characters leave unspoken? How does this affect their interactions and the outcome of the story?Ħ. How does she contrast life in New York and Florida? If you’ve been to either or both of these places, do her observations ring true to you?ĥ. Hold Still straddles two parts of America, two distinct worlds. In what ways does this tension reveal itself? Do you think she succeeds?Ĥ. Maya is simultaneously consumed by love for her children and determined to retain a separate identity. Why did Ellie become so rebellious? Why does she later often secretly wish she were different? Does she make an effort to change? Why or why not?ģ. Given Maya’s personality, did this surprise you? How do these unusual dynamics play out? Did you find them relatable?Ģ. Two of them are former students-one of them a nonconformist not unlike Ellie. Although Maya has never had many friends, the few she does have are extremely important to her.

Hold still lynn steger strong