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Becoming Duchess Goldblatt Review
Have you ever wished you could have an ongoing conversation with one of your favorite fictional characters? Well, that’s the best way I can describe Duchess Goldblatt. Duchess Goldblatt is a fictional character with a Twitter account where she has gained followers in the thousands from around the world.
Her followers include authors, musicians, artists, and even one senator’s wife, among others. Her biggest fan is none other than the country music star Lyle Lovett, who is also one of the main characters in the book .
I went into this book knowing nothing about the beloved character. I was on the one hand fascinated, and the other hand skeptical. The book surprised me. While it deals in depth with the development of Duchess; it also gives you the backstory of the woman behind the curtain, which really is the main story.
It explores several difficult topics including divorce, grief, mental illness, parenting after a divorce, loneliness, friendships, and more. As someone who has been through a divorce with kids, a lot of what she wrote about rang true.
This book made me laugh out loud and also brought me to tears. It’s a very real and human book.
I recommend reading the book on audio where you get to hear Lyle Lovett playing himself. It might have been one of my favorite parts of the book.
Publisher’s Description
“Part memoir and part joyful romp through the fields of imagination, the story behind a beloved pseudonymous Twitter account reveals how a writer deep in grief rebuilt a life worth living.
“Becoming Duchess Goldblatt is two stories: that of the reclusive real-life writer who created a fictional character out of loneliness and thin air, and that of the magical Duchess Goldblatt herself, a bright light in the darkness of social media. Fans around the world are drawn to Her Grace’s voice, her wit, her life-affirming love for all humanity, and the fun and friendship of the community that’s sprung up around her.
“@DuchessGoldblatt (81 year-old literary icon, author of An Axe to Grind) brought people together in her name: in bookstores, museums, concerts, and coffee shops, and along the way, brought real friends home—foremost among them, Lyle Lovett.”
Book Club Discussion Questions
- What fictional character do you wish you could have a conversation with?
- Could Duchess Goldblatt have been successful if she weren’t fictional?
- Why or why not do you think it’s important that the writer is anonymous?
- Do you think the writer behind Duchess Goldblatt should reveal her identity at some point? Why or why not?
- Why is it sometimes easier to talk to strangers about our lives than those closest to us?
- How do you see ideas taking shape in your mind? (For reference, read the conversation between the author, Lyle Lovett, and the Genius on p. 161.)
- Do you like Duchess Goldblatt?
- How are the siblings of those with mental illness (or other conditions) sometimes the biggest victims?
- Do you think the title fits the book?
- In what way is the author “becoming” Duchess Goldblatt or do you think it’s the other way around?
- Discuss the author’s relationship with her father. Do you think he handled the situation with her brother well? How was his grace toward her in the end her saving grace?
- Do you agree that it’s wrong to make a joke at another person’s expense, even if it’s a gentle joke? Do you also agree that we should avoid such joking even if it’s about a celebrity? Why or why not? (See p. 201 and 207 for reference.)
- What did you think of Lyle Lovett and his role in the story?
Book details
- Date Published: April 13, 2021
- Pages: 256
- Audio: 5 hours 30 minutes
- Publisher: Mariner Books