Cleaning Closets by Susan DeBow

In the story all four main female characters grow and change. Discuss the different ways Sherry, Grace, Sugar and Lydia grow.
How do you see Lydia? What kind of person is she?
Lydia’s method of coping with grief seems to be to idealize the departed. Does this seem to be a common coping mechanism? Does Lydia grieve differently than others you have known?
Is Lydia too involved in the lives of her adult children? Involved enough?
Discuss Lydia and Rita’s friendship. Was Rita a true friend?
How did Grace’s adoption impact her behavior as an adult?
What kind of a father do you think Walter was?
Discuss the interaction between Sherry, Grace, Sugar and Tim. Do you think the way they as relate as adults reflects the trauma the family has been through? How so?
The married Calypso children do not seem to have good marriages. Why do you think this is?
Do you feel that Lydia and Walter went overboard with the whole concept of raising their children to have good self-esteem? Does any parent truly have the ability to honestly assess their child’s strengths and weaknesses?
Cleaning Closets is a metaphor for getting one’s life together. Do we all have closets that need to be cleaned?
What do you see Lydia doing five years from now?
Do you clean your closets periodically?
What would bother you more, if your spouse had an emotional or a physical affair?