Time to Be In Earnest cover

Time to Be In Earnest

by P. D. James

Part diary and part memoir, this is the author's account of the 12 months of her life between her 77th and 78th birthdays. In writing it she simultaneously remembers her long and remarkable career, from 1920s Cambridge schoolgirl to Governor of the BBC to best-selling author.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?