Christina Schwarz, author of the New York Times bestseller and Oprah’s Book Club pick Drowning Ruth, once again turns her storytelling eye to the evocative landscape of Wisconsin, where life is not as simple–or as innocent–as it seems. Beautifully tracing the emotional labyrinth of a marriage on the brink of collapse, So Long at the Fair is the story of a man struggling to choose between the wife he still loves and the mistress he desires. The questions and topics that follow are intended to enhance your reading.

1. So Long at the Fair reveals the perspectives of multiple characters and dual timelines. In what way did this enhance your reading? How would the storytelling have been affected if you had just seen Jon’s point of view?
2. Jon is portrayed as a perfectionist who is compulsively clean and organized. Yet there are glimpses of areas in his life that defy this, such as an unorganized desk drawer, a car glove box in disarray, and his tendency to misquote the lyrics of well-known songs. What is the significance of these contradictions?

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