Good Riddance

Questions About Good Riddance

by Elinor Lipman (Goodreads Author)

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Good Riddance, please sign up.

Answered Questions (1)

How old is Daphne? If her mother was 23 in 1968, she would have been born in 1945. Is Daphne in her late 30's or 40s? She mentions her father has been holding this secret for 32+ years so...was her mom already in her 40's when she had her? I feel like moving the graduating class 10 years in the future ('78) would have made more sense if the author wanted Daphne to be in her mid to early 30s.
Melinda Worfolk Yes, Devon is right. Daphne's mother was a 23 year old teacher in 1968, not a student. At one point Daphne says her conception happened 31 years and 9…moreYes, Devon is right. Daphne's mother was a 23 year old teacher in 1968, not a student. At one point Daphne says her conception happened 31 years and 9 months ago, so she is supposed to be 31, which means her mother would have been 42 when she had her, and even older when her younger sister Holly was born. Now this in itself could be believable, but it would have been unusual for the time, and I think Daphne's character would have mentioned it. Remember, she mentions her ex-husband's mother had him "late in life" at the age of 40, so if her own mother had been even older, it would have made sense for Daphne to mention it. I agree that having it be the class of '78 would have made a lot more sense. Still, despite the math not adding up for me, I enjoyed the book. (less)
flag

Unanswered Questions (2)

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more