It's Not All Downhill From Here

Analyze Loretha and her friends’ monthly dinners. How do these dinners shift over the narrative? What role do these gatherings play in developing the theme of The Bond Between Family and Friends?

Everyone in It’s Not All Downhill From Here demonstrates Resilience in the Face of Personal Loss. Which character portrays the most consistent resilience? Why? Use examples from the text to support your argument.

Many characters in the novel have addictions or unhealthy relationships with drugs and alcohol. Identify other examples of this motif not discussed in the guide. How do these examples deepen the novel’s exploration of its central themes?

Loretha owns a beauty supply shop called The House of Beauty and Glamour. However, beauty is subjective and varies between cultures, and Loretha becomes less concerned with traditional beauty as the novel progresses. How does Loretha’s growing understanding of the subjective nature of beauty influence the grand reopening of her store in Chapter 30?

Compare Loretha’s 68th birthday in Chapter 1 to her 69th birthday in Chapter 16. How do the two celebrations portray similar elements of love, loss, and support, though Loretha spends the two birthdays very differently?

How do money and socio-economic status impact Loretha’s relationship with her relatives, particularly Peggy, Odessa, and Jalecia?

In Chapter 14, Loretha wonders if she is too negative and critical of Jalecia’s life choices. However, at other moments in the text, Loretha herself grows based on critical feedback from her friends and family. Based on examples from the text, is Loretha too critical of her daughter? Why or why not?

Lucky tells her friends, “Let’s bury calling each other bitches. We aren’t bitches. We’re lifelong girlfriends. Deal” (307). Analyze the significance of this quote. Why might the friend group refer to each other like that, and why is it significant that Lucky asks them to stop?