Synopses & Reviews
Just when things were going so well.
Jess had the perfect summer planned: She and Fred, lounging in the park, gazing into one anothers eyes and engaging in witty repartee. It was going to be so romantic. And then her maddening mum stepped in: She suddenly announced a two-week “road trip” to Cornwall to visit Jesss dad, something Jess might have enjoyed, actually, were it not for the monstrously bad timing. Not only will this force Jess and Fred apart for two whole weeks, it will also leave the darling and handsome Fred in the clutches of Jesss blindingly beautiful best friend, Flora—who, you might recall, expressed an interest in Fred not too long ago. As if all this werent enough, Jesss mum seems to expect her to weep at the grave of every departed literary hero in Britains long history. Its absolute torture. And little does Jess know, a huge surprise awaits her when she visits her dad at his home for the first time in years.
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Sue Limbs childrens books include
Big and Little, China Lee, Me Jane, Big Trouble, and
Mr Loopy and Mrs Snoopy.
Come Back Grandma is published by Random House U.K. and was shortlisted for the Smarties Prize. She lives in England.
From the Hardcover edition.
Reading Group Guide
1. On page 54, Limb writes: "It would be so, so cool if Mum knew about Fred and approved and everything. It was just that Mum had often been kind of hard on men, and Jess hadnt quite managed to pluck up her courage and mention the subject." What do you think about Jesss decision to keep her romance with Fred from her mother? Do you think her mum is actually anti-men enough to disapprove of Jess and Freds relationship?
2. Much confusion arises from Freds vaguely worded text messages. Look at two of the messages he sends Jess during her vacation: he describes his coworkers as "ALL GIRLS. KIND OF LOW-CALORIE SUGABABES" (page 49) and sends the message "DISASTER. MANAGED TO DROPABIG DISH OF CREMECARAMELALL DOWN CHARLOTTES CLEAVAGE" (page 58). Do you think Fred is trying to incite Jesss jealousy, or is the brevity of the text messaging format making things sound more scandalous than they really are?
3. During her vacation, Jess strongly suspects that her best friend, Flora, may be conspiring to spend time alone with Fred. Do you think Jesss suspicion of her best friend is warranted? Do you think it says something about the state of their friendship, or does it have more to do with Jesss personality?
4. On page 94, Jess asks her mother, "If you could date a writer, any writer, who would it be?"What would your answer to this question be, and why?
5. On page 100, after recalling an instance when she felt jealous of a woman whod gotten Grandpas attention, Granny tells Jess, "Always remember, dear, the beach can be a dangerous place. What with everyone taking their clothes off and throwing caution to the winds." Do you agree with this assessment? Are some locations or situations more likely than others to make you feel jealous?
6. On page 118, Jesss mom begins to confide in her daughter about what went wrong between her and Jesss dad. She starts to cry, commenting that she believes Jesss dad stopped feeling attracted to her, and Jess responds with a joke. On page 120, Limb writes of Jesss moms reaction: "For a moment she looked a bit cross that her tragic moment had been railroaded into comedy."What do you think of this response? Are there some situations in which joking is inappropriate? Do you think Jesss constant joking is a character flaw, or a desirable talent?
7. Jesss family engages in a good deal of deception in this book: Jesss mom avoids telling her about her fathers homosexuality, Jess hides her relationship with Fred from both parents, and Jesss father tries to pass Phil off as a visiting friend. Do you think all these lies imply an inability to deal with the truth? Do you think Jess and her parents will be more open with each other in the future? If so, why?
8. When Jess is told of her fathers homosexuality, her reaction is "Its brilliant! Its so cool! Wait till I tell all my friends! Theyll be so jealous!"(page 162). Do you think this is a believable reaction for a modern teenager? Do you think its the reaction Jesss parents were expecting?
9. On page 181, when Jesss mum shows up at her dads house, Jess ponders, "Now, at the very moment when Jess had finally got together with Dad, and understood what he was all about, and was having the wildest, the most wonderful time, now her mum had to turn up. Hammering on the door like the vice squad or something. Ruining everything." But just a few moments later, on page 183, Limb writes, "Suddenly Jess felt a wave of tenderness for her mum. . . . She looked small and sad and real. And tired."What do you think Jess has realized about her mother that accounts for this change in the way she sees her mum? Which image do you think is more accurate?
10. On page 212, Jess confronts Fred about his flirtation with the bikinied blonde and soon makes things awkward between them. She chooses to make a joke out of the whole interaction, and Fred cheerfully plays along. What do you make of this method of conflict resolution? What are some other ways Jess might have handled the situation? Do you think the issue is resolved, or will Jesss jealousy come up again?