The Farm by Joanne Ramos Book Club Discussion Questions

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

Note: Spoiler alert - this post contains spoilers if you haven’t finished the book.

I recently read The Farm by Joanne Ramos in my book club and I thought it would be helpful to add some discussion questions and topics, in case anyone else out there is looking to use this for their reading club. :)

If you want to read my review on the book, you can read it here.

INITIAL THOUGHTS & REACTIONS OF THE ENDING

• Did you guys think that leaving Golden Oaks was worth Jane losing her bonus?

• Given that Lisa and Raegan ultimately came up with this plan to help Jane, has your opinion of either of them changed throughout the novel?

• What did you guys think of the fact that Mae hired Jane on as a surrogate/baby nurse after Golden Oaks?

  • Does this change your perception of Mae? Did you ever see as a villain of the story? And do you still feel that way?

  • Do you think that this is a happy ending for Jane? Why or why not?

• Reading the epilogue and the author’s note, which character did you feel the author related to most?

  • Which character did you relate to most and why?

OVERALL THEMES

• How does this book display feminism?

• What do you think of Golden Oaks? Is it ethical or unethical? 

• At the end of the book, Mae is offended when Ethan asks if she would consider carrying their next baby. What are your thoughts on her approach to surrogacy?

• Do you think it would be wrong for someone to choose surrogacy for vanity reasons or convenience (referring back to when Lisa found out her client was a model)

• The author mentions that the book is a culmination of many people’s experiences that she met from moving here from the Philippines. Did you learn anything new about the Asian American experience?

  1. For instance, what Ate does to Jane is technically unethical (making profit off of her going to Golden Oaks), but given her background it could be seen as a mode of survival. Love to know everyone’s thoughts on this and how it relates to her struggles of being a mother.

• “Because in America you only have to know how to make money. Money buys everything else.” How does the role of money impact different characters in the book?

  1. I.e. Reagan (who almost gave it all away) to someone like Jane

• In what ways does this book show the struggle of motherhood? 

• If you were a surrogate, would it matter to you who your client was? 

• Do you think a place like Golden Oaks could exist in real life?

  1. Could you see yourself applying as a host? Why or why not?

  2. Could you see yourself hiring a host? Why or why not?

• Ultimately, if both parties are coming to an agreement voluntarily, do you think The Farm and is a fair and legitimate business?

FUN MINI-GAME: ABOUT THE AUTHOR

• Note: These are based off of the q&a interview with the author at the end of the book. Feel free to turn this into a little drinking game — everytime you get an answer wrong, take a sip ;)

• True or False: Joanne was 40 years old when she wrote this book

  • Answer: True

• True or False: Joanne attended Yale University

  • Answer: False, she went to Princeton

• True or False: Joanne was inspired for this book by reading about a surrogacy facility in India in the Wall Street Journal

  • Answer: True

• True or False: Joanne wanted Mae to be the villain of the story

  • Answer: False! She didn’t see her as a villain, just a complex character with depth

• True or False: Joanne worked at the Economist previously

  • Answer: True

• True or False: Although Filipino, Joanne was born in the US.

  • False, she was born in the Philippines

OPEN DISCUSSION & THOUGHT STARTERS

• Would you like to see this made into a movie?

• Who would play Jane in a movie version of this book? Who would play Mae?

• Would you ever consider surrogacy?

• Are there any other books/shows/movies that remind you of The Farm?

• How would you describe how you felt after reading it in one word?

Hope this helps some fellow book lovers! And if you are looking for a book club to join, feel free to check out ours here: Bad Babes with Books. We read mostly fiction and books written by female authors that champion women’s stories.

You can also join our Facebook Group here.

love,

s.