The Objects of Her Affection (30 page)

1.
Sophie’s motivations for stealing change over time. What feelings do you think compel her first theft?

2.
Do you think it’s significant that she chooses a mirror for her first theft?

3.
When Sophie steals the snuffbox, she feels “a wave of tenderness… In a strange way, she felt almost protective of the little thing.” What do you think Sophie has in common with these objects, which have been left sitting, unprotected, in a museum hallway?

4.
Sophie believes that the right house can provide her family with a stable, happy life. Can you think of examples from your own life where you’ve focused all your hopes and energy on the wrong thing? Why do you think we do this?

5.
Sophie writes to Brian that motherhood is “simultaneously the most defining and most alienating experience I’ve ever had.” What do you think she means by that?

6.
Sophie makes a lot of financial decisions without involving Brian. Do you think Brian is complicit in this behavior? Does he deserve any blame for it?

7.
Do you think Brian is completely to blame for his lack of involvement with the children, or has Sophie made it difficult for him? Do you think this is a common pattern between spouses?

8.
After Sophie applies for the “option ARM” mortgage, she takes the kids to Johnny Rockets, where the waitstaff dance to the song “Last Dance.” What do you think the significance of that song is?

9.
Sophie envies Brian’s success, his passion for his work, and the fact that his career hasn’t been derailed by parenthood. Has envy ever motivated you to do something you knew was wrong?

10.
Value is a theme of the novel: the value we place on material goods, the value of real estate, the value of family. Brian says value is “a slippery concept,” and uses that to justify underpaying someone for a family treasure. What are some other ways characters (or institutions) play with value to suit their needs?

11.
Sophie thinks of mothers and daughters as a fractal: an endlessly repeating pattern. What are some of the behaviors Sophie wants to avoid repeating? Have you ever caught yourself repeating your parents’ mistakes? Do you think it’s possible to break the pattern?

12.
Harry runs his business in deference to his dead father, who apparently gives him instructions from beyond the grave. Do you think it’s unusual for someone to make decisions based on what they imagine a deceased parent might say? If you’ve lost a parent, do you continue having imaginary conversations with him or her?

13.
Most working mothers struggle with the work-life balance. Do you think Brian feels there’s an imbalance in his life? Do you think that men and women have different feelings about this issue?

14.
In the scene at the mall at Christmastime, Sophie is impressed by Lucy’s ability “to face the beardless, hairless truth, accept its implications, and move on.” What truth is Sophie starting to face during her visit to Cincinnati? What does she decide to do as a result?

15.
When Sophie learns the story of Jansz van Vianen, who gave up silversmithing to take over his father’s brewing business, she begins to feel even more tormented by thoughts of the tazza. Why do you think van Vianen’s story struck a chord with Sophie?

16.
Sophie only half believes that the Dutch tazza is hidden in her house, yet she tears the house apart looking for it. What do you think she’s really looking for? Why do you think she willingly damages her house in the process?

17.
Sophie isn’t the only thief in this story. Who else is guilty of stealing?

18.
Sophie has trouble accepting help from others. Do you think her upbringing had something to do with this tendency? Are there people in your life who have trouble asking for help?

19.
The story begins with a trip to pick strawberries, and ends with a trip to pick pumpkins. Compare and contrast the two outings. How have Sophie and Brian changed in the intervening time? How are those changes reflected in the mood of these scenes?

20.
Do you think Brian should take Sophie back? Why or why not?

1.
Where
did
you
get
the
idea
for
this
book?

When my husband and I first had kids, I struggled to keep my freelance business going while nursing, changing diapers, and renovating a Civil War era row house that needed lots of work. It was a pivotal moment in my life, when everything—priorities, expectations, hopes, and fears—changed quite suddenly and dramatically. My career receded into the background as I struggled to manage the demands of motherhood and family life.

Meanwhile, my husband was pursuing the career of his dreams at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I loved listening to his stories of dealers and collectors and all the behind-the-scenes plotting that went into every acquisition. I loved going to museum parties, and accompanying him on trips to Europe. I envied his comparative freedom, and the stimulating nature of his work life. At times I found myself living vicariously through him.

Thinking about the contrast between our work lives, I wondered how a less stable character might react to the tensions I was experiencing. What if someone were driven a little crazy by her new life as a mother, and her longing for a more satisfying career? What if you threw financial pressure into the mix—like a house going into foreclosure?

At the time, I was fascinated by the antiheroes who were becoming so popular on television: the drug dealing suburban mom in
Weeds
, the psychopathic forensic investigator in
Dexter
, the meth-cooking chemistry teacher of
Breaking
Bad
. I love the idea of an ordinary person struggling with an irresistible secret vice. I thought it would be interesting to create a character who reacts to the challenges of motherhood by doing something awful—and then to follow her journey to redemption.

2.
Is
it
really
that
easy
to
steal
things
from
a
museum?

No. The scenarios that allow Sophie to steal objects simply wouldn’t happen in a modern-day museum. Storage practices are quite rigorous, and visitors—even curators’ spouses—are never allowed to be anywhere near museum objects without an escort, and they’re never allowed to enter storage areas at all. The system of object cards that I describe has been replaced by collection management software such as The Museum System (TMS). I based Sophie’s idea for a computerized collection management system on TMS, which is widely used by most major museums to keep track of works of art.

3.
You
obviously
have
a
lot
in
common
with
Sophie, your main character. Did you base other characters in the book on real people?

The only other “real” character in the book is Sophie’s row house. My husband and I renovated a very similar house in Philadelphia while our children were very small. I shared Sophie’s passion for that house’s sturdy Victorian proportions, honest materials, and lovingly crafted details. I personally ripped out all the shag carpet (and Ukrainian newspapers), tore down the drop ceilings, and demolished the seventies-era cabinetry while taking periodic breaks to pump breast milk. Fortunately, I didn’t get suckered into a bad mortgage the way Sophie does.

4.
Are
the
objects
and
artists
in
your
story
real?

Some objects are real, and some are modeled after real objects. All of the artists mentioned are real. The Jamnitzer mirror is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The van Vianen tazza is loosely based on a piece in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Saint-Porchaire candlestick is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
Het
Scheepje
(The Little Ship) is a period room you can visit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as are the Ceremonial Tea House and the Temple of the Attainment of Happiness. The Rembrandt seascape was one of the paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990; it has yet to be recovered.

5.
With
two
kids
and
a
freelance
business, how did you find the time to write this book?

For a couple of years, I tried working on my manuscript during my free time, but I found it really difficult to gain momentum—especially since it was my first book. I had no idea what I was doing, and I kept throwing out my work and starting over from scratch. That didn’t get me anywhere, so I finally decided to take a year off from my job in order to focus full-time on the book. I was only able to do this because of a financial windfall, and because my freelance clients were very understanding. I realize what a luxury that year was. I have boundless admiration for writers who are able to finish novels while holding down full-time jobs, and I wonder how many talented writers will never be discovered because they are too busy trying to pay the rent and put food on the table.

6.
Was
it
hard
to
make
yourself
sit
down
and
write
every
day?

I sit down and write every day for my job, so that part wasn’t hard. What was hard was overcoming my insecurities about my writing. I made sure to include plenty of reading time in my daily schedule. Reading good books is the best writing education you can buy. The author Donald Ray Pollock went so far as to retype stories by great writers, to get the feel of their words into his bones. When I’m trying to improve my writing, that’s how I try to read—closely. Why did the author zoom in on that detail? Why did she summarize the dialogue here, instead of quoting it? How did she handle this transition? Etc.

7.
What
did
you
read
during
that
year?

For pure literary beauty—lots of Updike (particularly the
Rabbit
novels), Paul Harding’s
Tinkers
, and
Housekeeping
by Marilynne Robinson. Ian McEwan’s book
Saturday
taught me about slowing down time and getting inside granular, moment-by-moment observations. Jane Smiley’s novella
The
Age
of
Grief
sat open on my desk for most of the year; I was incredibly inspired by her ability to assemble the nuts and bolts of domestic life into a story of incredible emotional force. I also reread my favorite Michael Frayn novel,
Headlong
, which is a hilarious account of amateur art theft, greed, shame, and marital implosion. Great stuff.

My deepest thanks to all the early readers, advisers, and friends who helped along the way: Amy Conklin, Kathryn Craft, Felicia Crosby, Brett and Maia Cucchiara, Nic D’Amico, Collette Douaihy, Mike Drazen, Stew Ellington, Karen Engelmann, Holly Fiss, Nell McClister, Kelly Simmons, Karen Stephenson Shore, Corey Wise, and Robert Wittman. Three cheers to my intrepid agent, Adam Schear, and my editor, Shana Drehs; many thanks also to Lucy Stille. Profound gratitude to Ed and Eulalia Cobb, Alison Cobb, and Kathy Vaughan for lending me your eyes and your ears and your quiet rooms with desks. Big kisses to Jodi Cobb, Charlie and Janet Cobb, Lauren Cobb Silva, and Ashley de Coligny for making it all possible. And most of all, my eternal love and gratitude to my devoted husband and best friend, Pierre, for your good humor, good sense, and unwavering support through it all. I love you.

Sonya Cobb is an author and advertising copywriter. She lives in Westchester County, New York, with her two children and her husband, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.