Book Club Friends Discussion Guide For:
An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s
Doris Kearns Goodwin Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Doris Kearns Goodwin

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin, one of America’s most beloved historians, artfully weaves together biography, memoir, and history.

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Published: 2024-04-16

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s Discussions

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  • How has reading this book changed your understanding of the major events and figures of the 1960s?

    Read/Participate

  • This book weaves together personal memoir with historical narrative.
    How effective is this approach in helping readers understand both the intimate and public aspects of the 1960s?

    Read/Participate

  • Discuss the significance of the 300+ boxes of memorabilia in the narrative.
    How did the process of going through these materials together affect Dick and Doris’s understanding of each other and their shared history?

    Read/Participate

  • How does the author’s personal connection to the events affect her telling of this history?

    Read/Participate

  • Compare and contrast the leadership styles and achievements of JFK and LBJ as presented through Dick and Doris’s different perspectives.
    How did their personal experiences with these presidents shape their views?

    Read/Participate

  • Discuss how the book handles the tension between personal loyalty and historical objectivity.
    How do both Dick and Doris reconcile their deep personal connections to political figures with their roles as historical witnesses?

    Read/Participate

  • What lessons about political dialogue and disagreement can we draw from Dick and Doris’s relationship?
    How did they manage to maintain their relationship despite their at times conflicting viewpoints? How might their example inform current political discourse?

    Read/Participate

  • Doris Kearns Goodwin has describe the 1960s as “a time when individuals were powered by the conviction they could make a difference.”
    How does this idealism compare to current attitudes toward political engagement and social change?

    Read/Participate

  • Discuss the meaning of the title, “An Unfinished Love Story.”
    Whose love story is unfinished?

    Read/Participate

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