Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Farm by Joanne Ramos

1. Would you recommend The Farm to another reader? If so, who?
2. After finishing the book, how would you describe how you felt in one word?
3. What other books, movies, or TV shows did The Farm remind you of?
4. Did you sympathize with any of the women? Did you have a favorite character?
5. Does it seem like a place like Golden Oaks could exist now or in the near future? Could you see yourself applying to be a Host or using Golden Oaks' services? Why or why not?
6. Reagan and Jane come from very different worlds, yet end up being close friends. How are their experiences and viewpoints similar, and how do they differ? Why do you think they formed such a close bond? What does each of them offer to the other?
7. Were you surprised by Jane's decision to run away from Golden Oaks? How does this represent a transformation in her character?
8. What did you think of Jane's choice to work for Mae after leaving Golden Oaks? How do you think this decision relates to the agency she gains throughout the novel? Considering all the factors at play in Jane's life, do you think she made the right decision? What would you have done in her place?
9. Mae Yu and Ate are both characters who seem to exemplify the ambition and entrepreneurial spirit of the proverbial American Dream. What are their motivations, and how are they similar? What do the ways they choose to achieve their goals say about them as characters?
10. One of the major themes in is the relationship between luck and merit in individual lives. How does this play out among the four main characters in the novel? How do these two forces of luck and merit affect the agency that the characters in the novel have?
11. While this novel is about four women, ultimately it is still a white man, Leon, who holds the power. What do you think this says about the world of the novel, and about Golden Oaks in particular?
12. Towards the end of the book, Reagan is saddened when contemplating the lives of Jane and Ate, because she feels nothing will change—for them or for their children. However, Jane, at the very end of the novel, expresses hope that the future might be different. Have things changed for these characters? What, if anything, hasn't changed? Who believes in change, and why?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Random House. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.