We will often be posting new Readers' Group Guides for the use of individuals and/or book clubs. Check out our RendezVous Crime site for additional Readers Group Guides.

Featured Author:

Jesse Frayne

Just Keep Breathing Reader’s Group Guide

This guide is meant to provide conversation ideas for Book Clubs and other readers.

1. Jeanie's life at the track is an integral part of who she is. What do you feel are her reasons for retiring from her career? Is this about aging, time with family, boredom with the sport? Or is this perhaps her attempt to start and define a new phase of her life?

2. How do you feel about Jeanie and Frank's relationship. Do you find yourself sympathizing more with one than the other? Do you feel that Jeanie and Frank’s marriage is representative of marriage in today's society?

3. Do you think the story of their marriage would have been told differently if the book had been written from Frank's perspective?

4. Do you feel that Frank and Jeanie's family is typical of today's family? Could you relate to the relationship Jeanie and Frank have with each of the children, including Frank's stepdaughters?

5. What is your opinion of Jeanie and Frank as parents?

6. While reading this novel, did you find your mind addressing the mystery component, trying to determine who murdered Gus? Were you surprised at the outcome?

7. How does their trip to Jamaica change the way Jeanie feels about her marriage? How does it change the way she feels about herself?

8. During their vacation in Jamaica, do you think Jeanie loses faith in Frank? Is this justified?

9. Recalling the unusual bequest in Gus's will, did you predict that Jeanie would make the choices she did? How would you have handled these decisions?

10. Loss. Jeanie has lost her dad, her mom, her mentor, and almost loses her husband. But what has she really lost? What or whom are her supports?

11. Did you find the dialogue realistic? Did it give you a feel for each character? Did it slow down or speed up the story, add to or detract from your enjoyment of reading this novel?

12. Jeanie and Frank live on the outskirts of a major urban centre and practice some increasingly popular sustainable living methods. What are your thoughts on sustainable living? Does making your own diesel fuel from cooking oil, using solar power, wind power and solar water heating seem practical, economical or feasible?

13. Knowing that the author has extensive background in the horse track industry, how authentically did you feel the author conveyed that world? Did you find the "inside" information engaging? Would an author without this background have been able to research this industry and come up with the same results?

14. Were you interested in the "inside" information about Frank's career in film-making? Did either of these non-traditional careers, working with horses at a race track or working in the film-industry, interest you before this story? Do they interest you more now?