9. Discuss Thair and Gabriel’s relationship. Thair says that at times he seems too good to be true. “And it’s too much, like the stuff of trashy novels. But I kind of like it.” Do you think she has met her Other Half? Thair says, “My brain-hand and heart-hand are reaching for each other … are they connecting?” What does this symbolize for Thair? Why does her relationship with Gabriel work? Do you think she could be happy with Gabriel forever?
10. “Can we only feel complete in the arms of our soul mate or can we find this wholeness alone? Or is mere contentment with someone the solution for loneliness?” What do you think? At the end of the novel, Thair says, “She was always whole; she just had to figure that out.” Do you think Thair has found this wholeness alone, and is she finally comfortable in her own skin?
11. Red Greek tomatoes are an important symbol in the novel. First they are mentioned as “deep-red, delicious tomatoes” from Thair’s yiayia’s garden. Later, in the US, Thair says, “The tomatoes in the salad aren’t red, instead an awful pink color.” When she is thinking of breaking up with Jessica, she finds one in her fridge that is “reddish-purple, mushy, and has white fungus growing on its side.” When she shares a meal with Gabriel, Thair says, “the red in the tomatoes is deeper.” And, finally, the last line of the novel reads, “That night I dream of … a big bowl of red Greek tomatoes.” What role does this fruit play? How is it used in the various scenes, and to what effect?
12. Why do you think the novel is called The Greek Persuasion? Here are some references in the novel: Thair says to James, “Obviously, this myth has persuaded you, too.” Later, we read, “Thair wanting this fairy tale, this myth that her mama had persuaded her young mind into believing was a true story, led to Ravi’s walking out the door.” Phaedra later tells her daughter, “I think you persuaded yourself into believing that you could only be happy in Greece.” Finally, we read, “Thair thought about her mother, the bedtime story, and how that Greek god had persuaded her to search for her Other Half.” Who or what is “The Greek”? Is it a person, a mythological character, a country, and/or an ideology?
13. Which scene in the book moved you the most? Which characters did you think were the most notable? Was the ending satisfying? Did you get choked up at all while reading the book? Did you find yourself thinking about, or agreeing or disagreeing with, any of the concepts that Thair mentions? Do you have a desire to visit Greece after reading this book? Are you Greek? Have you had a chance to visit the incredible places mentioned in The Greek Persuasion?
14. Analyze the final words mentioned in the novel: Meteora, the Acropolis, Machu Picchu—what can you say about those places, and why are they important to the novel’s conclusion?
15. Finally, what will you remember most about The Greek Persuasion?
About the Author
© Chris Loomis
Kimberly K. Robeson is a Greek-American assistant professor at Los Angeles Valley College, where she teaches world literature, creative writing, and composition, and is the coadvisor for the college’s LGBTQ+ Club. She grew up in Greece, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and California. She holds a master’s degree in comparative literature and has taught English in Greece, Peru, and the United States for the past twenty-seven years. Kimberly, like her yiayia, has always been a storyteller, and Greece is always in her heart. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Hugo, and their three bulldogs, Achilles, Oia, and Opa. The Greek Persuasion is her debut novel.
SELECTED TITLES FROM SHE WRITES PRESS
She Writes Press is an independent publishing company founded to serve women writers everywhere. Visit us at www.shewritespress.com.
A Drop In The Ocean: A Novel by Jenni Ogden. $16.95, 978-1-63152-026-6. When middle-aged Anna Fergusson’s research lab is abruptly closed, she flees Boston to an island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef—where, amongst the seabirds, nesting turtles, and eccentric islanders, she finds a family and learns some bittersweet lessons about love.
Play for Me by Céline Keating. $16.95, 978-1-63152-972-6 Middle-aged Lily impulsively joins a touring folk-rock band, leaving her job and marriage behind in an attempt to find a second chance at life, passion, and art
The Geometry of Love by Jessica Levine. $16.95, 978-1-938314-62-9 Torn between her need for stability and her desire for independence, an aspiring poet grapples with questions of artistic inspiration, erotic love, and infidelity.
Shelter Us by Laura Diamond. $16.95, 978-1-63152-970-2 Lawyer-turned-stay-at-home-mom Sarah Shaw is still struggling to find a steady happiness after the death of her infant daughter when she meets a young homeless mother and toddler she can’t get out of her mind—and becomes determined to rescue them.
Magic Flute by Patricia Minger. $16.95, 978-1-63152-093-8 When a car accident puts an end to ambitious flutist Liz Morgan’s dreams, she returns to her childhood hometown in Wales in an effort to reinvent her path.
Stella Rose by Tammy Flanders Hetrick. $16.95, 978-1-63152-921-4 When her dying best friend asks her to take care of her sixteen-year-old daughter, Abby says yes—but as she grapples with raising a grieving teenager, she realizes she didn’t know her best friend as well as she thought she did.
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