Five Minutes in Heaven would be a good choice for the women's studies classroom or reading group, and the presence of positive male characters such as Sandy and Simon make it attractive for mixed groups as well.

1. Jude and Sandy are two young people struggling to find and maintain their identity in a setting in which they often have to struggle. What personal qualities help them, and how does their friendship help them survive?

2. How does Jude's identification and relationship with her father contribute to her developing self awareness? How does her encounter with her maternal grandparents in New York help her understand more about herself and her family?

3. Jude's friend Simon is a rather mysterious figure. What does he contribute to the novel?

4. Her affair with Anna proves to be a dangerous one for Jude. What draws them together, and what is Alther saying about...