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ome on, Mum. It’s not as if you’re being put out to pasture.”
that never had to be taught, a perfectly straight back that did. Ironed into
her by a mother who had spent a lifetime focused on the wrong things.
Daisy, staring down at her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Adjusting her
ring.
Dennis, thrusting the colorful glossy brochure into her eye line.
Daisy, turning away. Dennis, holding it there for a moment, shaking it as
though it needed shaking to get her attention. Not getting a response,
Dennis, sighing. Putting it on the table next to him. Saying, “You can
take the brochures home with you. Look through them when you’re
ready. Amanda and I think The Carillion would be perfect for you.
There’s a lot more to these senior homes than you know. At least think
about it, okay?”
Daisy, looking at him. Meeting his eye. “I’d like to go home now.”
Standing up, smoothing her pleated beige skirt over her narrow hips.
Dennis, hoisting himself off the sofa. “I can take you right away if
you’d like.”
Daisy, “I’d like that.” Nodding.
inutes later Dennis, the top of his head glistening with rain
M from the trip out the front door to the car, driving his silent mother
home, leaving the dark splashing streets of Merseyside for the dark
splashy streets of Saint Helens, northeast of Liverpool. His wiper blades
lashing noisily back and forth, rerunning the conversation in his head.
He had not gotten nearly as far as he had hoped. Amanda would surely
lay into him when he got home.
Pulling slowly into the driveway at 24 Rosemary Lane. Slipping the
gear stick into neutral. Turning to his mother. “I hope you had a nice
dinner.”
“Yes. It was very nice, thank you.” Stiffly.
“Look, Mum”—adjusting himself in the seat to face her—“I’m sorry,
parted on the left side, thick clumps of bangs swooping off in both direc-
tions, forming a series of Cs and Js across her forehead. Her hair long
enough to reach her eyebrows, short enough to reveal her earlobes, curling
under at the collar in the back. A tiny, slender woman of seventy-seven.
Gifted with an ever-present smile, an easy laugh.
Taking a deep breath. Standing as tall as she got. Confident, defiant,
upbeat.
Ignoring a slow, steady dripping from the shower head.
Daisy liked these weekly luncheons. Taking the train into the city.
Lunching, shopping at the rejuvenated Albert Dock. Feeling part of some-
thing with the city beating around her. Liverpool, recently voted Europe’s
cultural capital. The Merseyside Waterfront regional park and the whole
waterfront area drew millions of visitors every year. The Cavern Club,
the Beatles Museum, and the childhood homes of the former Beatles still
attracted fans from all over the world. The cafés, pubs, heart-stopping
architecture, cutting-edge theaters—all of it contributing to the energy
Daisy loved.
If only the skies weren’t consistently hosing the place down.
But that was Liverpool.
Daisy, feeling good. Wearing a new dress—navy with beige trim—
that fell just below her knees. Sensible low-heeled navy shoes. Smiling
during the conversation. Buttering her bread. Ordering the lamb. Ignor-
ing nagging unpleasantries pecking away at her. Going over what she
had lately been thinking about: hitting Dot up with a proposal.
Waiting for the appropriate lull in the conversation, then turning her
attention to Dot, to get her idea out. Daisy, full of hope and slowly gath-
ering excitement at spilling the words.
But then Dot blew her away, speaking first. Mentioning innocently
that she was going on holiday for the summer. To Spain, where her
daughter had a house. Shooting down Daisy’s idea before it even got out of
her mouth. Not giving Daisy the chance to say that she’d been thinking
the two of them should go on holiday together. To Ireland. Or Scotland.
Even Wales.
When Paul was alive, he and Daisy had traveled several times a year.
Both loved exploring; together they had covered much of the globe. But
Daisy hadn’t been anywhere in the last four years—not since Paul died.
She hadn’t even thought of it. Until recently. Startling herself, imagining
traveling again— on a much smaller scale, of course. Places she could
drive to. She just had to figure out with whom. Dot’s face had presented
itself, and after thinking it over for some time, Daisy had concluded that
Dot would indeed be the ideal travel companion. They liked the same
things, needed their tea at precisely the same time, craved the same schedule
of bed at night and waking in the morning, were equally active—which
was to say they were unusually energetic for their ages—and were both
devoted to the same evening ritual: Cointreau with mixers. Dot was as good
a stand-in for Paul as Daisy could imagine.
But no sooner were the words “Dot, I’ve been thinking” out of Daisy’s
mouth than Dot dropped her bombshell. Daisy, nodding, smiling, wish-
ing her well, her disappointed eyes sweeping around the table of faces to
see if anyone else might be a candidate.
Dismissing each in turn. That creeping feeling again. Of walls closing
in, of dreams swirling down drains, of possibilities not yet lived like dan-
delion seeds on wings of birds, launched, full of potential but never hit-
ting the ground. Unable to shake the feeling that her best days were
behind her. Paining her to find travel on that list, too—that great, sweep-
ing list.
Sighing. When Paul went, everything went. Except her house, 24
Rosemary Lane. Still hers. It was not going to be stored away like short
skirts, high heels, her passport—not if she could help it. Dennis and
Amanda could go. Let them go to Chessex, but not with her.
She would hire someone to mow the lawn every week. Fix the
shower head herself.
There. Problem solved.
ABOUT THIS GUIDE . . . his marriage and pending move part of it?
In order to provide reading groups with the most in-
formed and thought-provoking questions possible, it is 6. Did Ann’s response to Daisy’s arrival and stay surprise
necessary to reveal important aspects of the plot of this you? Did you expect a different reaction from her?
book—as well as the ending.
If you have not finished reading Keeping Time, we 7. Was it in keeping with Elisabeth’s character that she
respectfully suggest that you may want to wait before agreed to have Daisy stay with her and her family
reviewing this guide. when Ann was not willing to?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS . . . 8. Did Daisy come into Elisabeth’s life at a good time?
1. Do you think Daisy’s decision to travel alone to New What do you think was behind all of Elisabeth’s sus-
York came to her in a flash while rolling around in picions and unrest? Did you ever think Elisabeth’s
the mud, or do you think it was something that had fears about her husband might be true?
been building in her mind over time. Why?
9. Is it typical that Elisabeth didn’t want to ask Daisy
2. What kind of relationship do you think Lenny and why she had come and Daisy didn’t want to bring it
Dennis had growing up, with each other and with up either? Who do you think should have started that
their parents? conversation? Have you ever had a similar experi-
ence on either side of that issue?
3. Do you think Daisy would have done any traveling
again if she hadn’t found the watch? 10. A certain sense of timelessness runs through the
book, a linking of the generations. What elements
4. Do you think returning the watch to its rightful owner does the author use to evoke that sense?
was the sole reason Daisy chose to go to New York
or was that merely a catalyst? Was she doing it be- 11. What do you suppose Daisy’s life would have been
cause it was the proper thing to do, or did she have a like if she had given the watch to young Michael
hidden desire to see the watch’s owner again? and returned to Liverpool before she did. In what
way would the trip have changed her if she had gone
5. Why do you think Dennis was so nervous about his home before finding Michael Baker? Do you think
mother going to New York? Was it what it seemed to she would have stayed in her house, or packed up
be on the face of it, or were his own anxieties about and moved to Chessex?
Keeping Time
ReadING GROUP Guide
14. What do you think the future holds for Daisy and
Michael Baker?
15. How has Eve evolved during the fifty years that
have elapsed between the first and second parts of
her relationship with Justin? Has she grown up at
all?
A Crown Publishers Hardcover and eBook. Now available wherever books are sold.
Reading group guide for Keeping Time by Stacey McGlynn. Copyright ©2010 by Crown Publishing Group. Distributed by permission of the
Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this reading group guide may be reproduced or
reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.