READING GROUP GUIDE LOVE, CAJUN STYLE by Diane Les Becquets Published by Bloomsbury Publishing ©2005

et in the sultry town of Sweetbay, Louisiana, Love, Cajun Style follows Lucy, Mary Jordan, and Evie as they embark on their last summer as high schoolers, conferring Sand at times denying, the looming transitions in their lives. While the heart of the novel centers on three young women, the book delves into several different relationships in various stages of development between men and women of all ages. This novel transcends age and locale, and captures both the difficulties and the pleasures of relationships, be they familial, friendly, or romantic. Love, Cajun Style is a saucy tale of love, yearning, heartbreak, and friendship.

To help put you in the mood for your Love, Cajun Style chat, we’ve put together a medley of musical and culinary selections from the book to add a little harmony and a whole lotta kick to your gathering.

Enjoy!

Love, Cajun Style Soundtrack: John Coltrane Linda Ronstadt Barbara Mandrell Crystal Gayle Patsy Cline Billie Holiday Fats Waller The Doors Green Day Diana Krall Nirvana Vivaldi Bach Beethoven Chopin

Music, Cajun Style: Buckwheat Zydeco Clifton Chenier Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers Waylon Thibodeaux Michael Doucet and Beausoleil The Balfa Brothers Lynn August and the Hot August Nights Percy Mayfield Charles Sheffield Rockin' Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters

Food for Thought, Cajun Style :

Appetizers : Creole Vegetable Soup Shrimp Beignets Herbed Bread Oysters Iberville Crab-stuffed Mushrooms Crawfish Dip

Entrees : Étouffée Crawfish Pie Crab Cakes Lisette Seafood Consommé Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

Sweets : Pecan Bourbon Pie Buttermilk Pie Pecan Yam Muffins Turtle Shell Cookies Parfait Rum Raisin French Toast

Refreshments : Creole Coffee Iced Tea Hurricane Punch (Virgin)

Conversation, Cajun Style:

1. Love, Cajun Style is told from Lucy’s perspective. How do you think events would differ if told through Evie’s or Mary Jordon’s eyes?

2. Lucy looks at the relationship between Ms. Pitre and Miss Balfa and wonders where she, Evie, and Mary Jordon will be in forty years. Where do you see yourself and your best friends forty years from now? What makes a good friendship withstand the test of time?

3. What do you imagine happens to Lucy, Evie, and Mary Jordon after they graduate high school?

4. “Once in church, Father Ivan read from the Bible that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. I’m sure that had something to do with God, but all I could think about was Mary Jordon and Evie and me.” (page 54) What do you think it is about these three young women that keeps their chord entwined—and strong?

5. In the novel Dewey comments on how slowly time passes in Louisiana compared to in the North: “If you took an hourglass in Detroit and one from here, the sand from Detroit would move a lot faster.” (page 99) How would you describe the pace of your own life? Do you ever wish it was more (or less) like Lucy’s small- town, southern experience?

6. Southern turns of phrase are sprinkled throughout the novel, such as: “Tante Pearl said that listening to Mama tell a story was like milking a cow with a bad teat. By the time she finished, you weren’t sure whether to cry or get drunk,” (page 33); and “I swear you crawl under a person’s skin like a June bug.” (page 120) In what ways do you think these sayings enhance the story? What comparable phrases are native to your region? 7. One reviewer commented: “Here's a novel dealing with sexuality that can appeal to both conservative and liberal readers. Not all characters make good decisions, but the love of the three friends for each other heals wounds.” (Kirkus Reviews) Do you agree or disagree with these comments? Why?

8. Over half the town attends the wedding between Mrs. Forez and Clyde. Why do you think this late-blooming love inspires hope in so many people of all ages? What was your reaction to their union?

9. Lucy’s mother describes her own life as a pie made up of equal parts music, sex, art, and cooking. If you were to divide your life in similar portions, what would your main ingredients be?

10. This novel taps into a pivotal point in these young women’s lives. They’re dealing with emotional and physical changes that they both eagerly await and reluctantly delay. “Lying on my back, I drew my knees to my chest, wrapped my arms around my legs, and held myself, trying with all my might to keep a part of myself from slipping away. . . . That part of me that didn’t want to grow up.” (page 138) Have you ever felt this way? If so, what brought on those feelings?

11. Do you agree or disagree with Lucy’s, and subsequently her friends’, responses and reactions to Mr. Bank’s behavior?

12. In the novel Lucy wrote down a wish to drop into the ocean, much like her Tante Pearl did at her family’s wishing well when she was Lucy’s age. Do you have any wishing traditions or superstitions? What would you wish for?

13. Lucy’s aunt and mother are very different from one another. How do you think these differences play a role in Lucy’s development?

14. If you and your friends had your clothes stolen while skinny-dipping, what type of revenge, if any, would you carry out?

15. “He told me that a kite string was like people’s lives. In one way, you could look at the string as holding a person back, but he said you could also say it kept the person grounded, like family, or having a place where you belong, or friends. That without it a person can get lost.” (page 100) Which way best describes your life? Would your prefer it to be the opposite?

16. Lucy easily locates beauty in her friends, but she is self-conscious about her own height, resenting nicknames like “Queen of Sheba” and “Statue of Liberty.” Why do you think people judge themselves with harsher standards than they do their friends? Have you ever come to terms with a personal trait or nickname you didn’t like? How did you turn something you thought was a negative into a positive?

17. Lucy misconstrues her mother’s behavior when it comes to her interaction with Mr. Savoi. Do you think she was overreacting? What would you do if you suspected (or knew) the boyfriend or girlfriend of one of your friends was cheating on him or her?

18. Lucy eventually realizes she misunderstood her mother’s behavior. In what ways does the outcome of the situation between her mother and Mr. Savoi, and subsequently her mother and father, change Lucy’s understanding of herself? Of her mother?

19. Religion plays an integral role in Lucy’s life. Do you relate to her spirituality and beliefs? If so, how? If not, how do you differ? 20. If you were to produce the movie Love, Cajun Style, who would you cast in each role?