Part Three Questions Posted!

Erin asked...

Erin asked...

Ree faced many changes and challenges in her first year of marriage with the separation and divorce of her parents, marriage, life on the ranch, and pregnancy. How would you have coped with so many changes at once?

Jessica asked...

Did you feel the third part of the book was rushed compared to Part I and Part II?

Stephanie asked...

So many "bad things" happened on Ree and Marlboro Man's honeymoon. Did you have anything like that happen to you? How did you handle it?

Rocky Mountain Wife asked...

One of my biggest wondering is how Ree's parents feel about how much of the book she spends talking about their impending break-up, and eventual divorce. She then is very blatant about how frustrated and sad she was with her mom. How do you think her parents feel at their portrayal in her book?

Another question: If you are married, did your first year of marriage contain many ups and downs as Ree's had? We're just about to finish our first year of marriage, and we've certainly had ups and downs-and I wonder if this is typical for everyone?

MC asked...

Did you like the ending to the book? What more would you have liked to know about Ree and Marlboro Man's relationship?

Natalie asked...

If you read The Pioneer Woman's blog before reading this book, what have you learned about her? How did the book compare to her typical blog posts? If you didn't read her blog, will you now?

Post Your Questions for Part Three!

We are all probably on the final pages on Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. I have loved this book so much.

Take just a second a leave a question in the comments sections for us to discuss for Part Three.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Part Two Discussion Questions

Hope you've enjoyed part 2 as much as we have! Thanks to those of you who shared your questions! Feel free to answer them all or only the ones you feel compelled to answer. We can't wait to hear your thoughts.

From Samantha:

What did you think of Marlboro Man's proposal? How would you feel if you were proposed to like that?

She wrote a lot about never riding in a pickup truck before and how she used to judge girls who rode in the middle. After being with Marlboro Man she felt differently and actually wanted to ride in the middle. How do you feel about that? Have you ever judged somebody and then after learning more, regret that you had judged them?

From mcbracey:

After their first fight, did it make you question if Marlboro man was the one to give up everything for, or was Ree willing to do it because it was easy when everything else seemed hard?

Do you wonder what Ree is doing all day? How is she financially making it? Is she really just waiting around all day to meet up with Marlboro man at night?

Would you let your now husband duck out of your reception to watch a football game?

From Erin:

So many embarrassing things have happened to Ree in front of Marlboro Man. What is the most embarrassing story that comes to mind when you think of embarrassing things that have happened to you in front of a significant other?

How would you have reacted to being around for the prairie fire?

From Rachel:

There have been so many funny little stories along the way in the book. What has been your favorite? Any favorite lines?

Send In Your Questions!

Hey book clubbers!

I have already finished Part Two and can't wait to start Part Three of Black Heels to Tractor Wheels!

When you finish Part Two, go ahead and leave a comment here with some questions you'd like the book club to answer next week. This will give us a chance to get them sorted and posted by Monday morning.

The questions to Part One were so much fun and we had some great discussion, so I can't wait to see what we talk about after reading Part Two!

Erin's Response to Part One

I am absolutely loving reading this book. And it is so much fun to me to have so much participation from the entire book club. I hope that with Part Two even more readers will ask questions to generate discussion.


From Rachel:

Has this book brought you back to the beginning of a romantic relationship in your life?

Definitely! There is something so exciting about a brand new relationship when you can't wait to talk to the person and every single phone conversation feels like it could last for hours and you would never get tired of talking. I can remember when dating Todd, every single email, phone call, date, movie, dinner, or even just seeing each other in passing was so special and new!

From Erin:

What surprised you about Ree? If this was your first time reading about her background, did anything surprise you about her "beginnings?"

I was surprised by a lot. I knew that she was a "city girl" but I didn't know she had been in Los Angeles or anything else about her background.

From Nina:
While reading Part I of Black Heels, did you find yourself comparing your own love life/story to Ree's?

Yes. I had big hopes of moving to Chicago at one point in my life and those plans changed because a very special man came into my life.

Would you have handled ex-boyfriend (J) the same way or differently than Ree did?

I think I would have been more forceful or gone out to see him just to make sure that he knew that things were over. But sometimes long term boyfriends are hard to just get rid of so easily.

Have you ever made a life-changing decision based on a guy in your life? And how did it work out for you?

I never really have. I have considered making lots of life-changing decisions like where I went to college or where I went after college, but I always ended up going with what was best for me. Todd came into my life at a time where we were both pretty settled in where we live now, so we "fit" into each other's lives very neatly.

From Stephanie:
How do you think Ree's family felt that she was just going to give up going to Chicago for a guy she had just met?

I'm not sure about them, but I know my family would have been very skeptical and would have discouraged me from changing my plans.

From Rocky Mountain Wife:
If you were Ree and started to question your life plan (leaving Cali, moving to Chicago, being independent for a while)...how would you feel when this sudden romance came into your life at the 'wrong' time?

I would have been a little bit worried and nervous about my plans getting messed up. But I love that love comes into our lives when we least expect it and we have so much else going on.

From Meghan:
How do you think the situation with Ree's parents affected her relationship with Marlboro Man? (Or do think it did not affect her?)

I think we find out more in Part Two, but I am thinking it will cause her to cling to him more and treasure what they have even more.

Have you ever felt an instant connection with someone? How did it turn out?

Yes. I married him!

What made you relate to Ree? In what ways could you not relate to her?

I am much more of an open book than Ree. I speak freely and don't hold feelings and words back out of fear. I can't believe she hadn't told him anything about her parents. Or that it took her so long to tell Marlboro Man she loved him. I would have been blabbing that stuff to him the second I knew!

From Meredith:
I love all the details of Ree's cooking for Marlboro Man in the early stages of their relationship. Have you ever made anything for the guy in your life that was just an utter disaster? Did he choke it down anyway?

Right after we got married, Todd and I decided to empty our pantry and refrigerator and cook with what we had. Except he doesn't cook, so I had to cook with what we had. I decided to make a casserole out of spaghetti, shredded cheese, Velveeta cheese, sliced turkey (deli meat), and spaghetti sauce. Todd called it "Velveeta Surprise." The first bites weren't so bad, but then we quickly realized that it was absolutely heinous. He has never let me live that down!

From Amber:
How much of Ree's book do you think is truth or fiction? How much did she embellish? Do you think she omitted or added anything? Obviously she couldn't get EVERYTHING that happened during this period of her life in the book, but I kept wondering what was left out and if some of the stuff she was writing was built up just a teensy tiny bit.

I think a lot of it is exaggerated and I think a lot of things having to do with their respective families were probably left out. I don't think either of them came from very modest backgrounds, which is kind of a big deal when you think about it. But those are private matters that have nothing to do with how much or why they love each other.

If this were my love story, I would exaggerate, too. I would gush about my husband's strong arms and the way I feel when he holds me. It is her fairy tale and the way she remembers it all and I think it's fun that there is some embellishment.

Rachel's Response to Part 1

I am loving this book. I read all of PW's tales on her website about two years ago, but it's still just as fun the second time around! It's such a light, easy read. If you haven't started reading yet, it's not too late to start. I promise that you'll fly through the first section.

From Rachel:

Has this book brought you back to the beginning of a romantic relationship in your life?

Most definitely! Those first few months of any relationship are always so fun and new, and I think the way that Ree rights the book reminds me of that time in my own relationships, especially with my husband. I remember spending a whole day with him early on, and just going home at night and smelling my sweatshirt because it smelled like him. I missed him even when we'd been together for hours at a time. I think she just puts it all into words so well.

From Erin:

What surprised you about Ree? If this was your first time reading about her background, did anything surprise you about her "beginnings?"

Since I'd read the whole Black Heels saga on her blog before this, I wasn't entirely surprised, but I definitely remember my shock after reading it for the first time 2 years ago. I love that she was once a vegetarian. It was so not what I expected. I like that she's had a range of experiences in her lifetime.

From Nina:

While reading Part I of Black Heels, did you find yourself comparing your own love life/story to Ree's?

Like I said above, I definitely find connections. Not only do I see connections with past relationships and that intense need to be with that person when the relationship is new, but I could so relate to what
she said about making life choices. I think we all reach an age and point in life where you have to make a decision to follow your heart or your head. When finishing college I had plans to move one place, but in the end, followed my then boyfriend (now husband) to his first job. I guess you could say it all worked out.

Would you have handled ex-boyfriend (J) the same way or differently than Ree did?

Most likely, no. Knowing me, I would have been a sucker and gone to have seen him. I love that she followed her heart and didn't look back. She made her decision and she stuck with it.

From Stephanie:

How do you think Ree's family felt that she was just going to give up going to Chicago for a guy she had just met?

I wondered this too! I am sure they were alarmed, but it also sounds like her parents had their own troubles to worry with. I know that if I had a child, I'm sure I'd question their choice to change directions in life so quickly, but I think I'd support them.

From Rocky Mountain Wife:

If you were Ree and started to question your life plan (leaving Cali, moving to Chicago, being independent for a while)...how would you feel when this sudden romance came into your life at the 'wrong' time?

I know that with my personality, I would have been a big ball of emotions. I like having plans. And something like this would certainly throw me for a loop! I would definitely be saying "This will never work" and I would doubt everything. I think this might be part of the reason why I love the story so much!

From Meghan:

What made you relate to Ree? In what ways could you not relate to her?
Like her - I am a total dork. I total silly stories to impress my husband early on (like her lies about running each morning). I question which direction my life is going in.

Unlike her - I don't think Wranglers would have attracted me at a smoky bar! The muscles? Maybe, but not cowboy jeans!

From Meredith:

I love all the details of Ree's cooking for Marlboro Man in the early stages of their relationship. Have you ever made anything for the guy in your life that was just an utter disaster? Did he choke it down anyway?

YES! I cook all the time now, but our first month or two of marriage was rough. I cried at dinner several nights. There were some awful meals that were made. But somehow, we made it, and I think it's safe to say that my cooking got better over time!

From Amber:

How much of Ree's book do you think is truth or fiction? How much did she embellish? Do you think she omitted or added anything? Obviously she couldn't get EVERYTHING that happened during this period of her life in the book, but I kept wondering what was left out and if some of the stuff she was writing was built up just a teensy tiny bit.

Oh, I definitely think things were left out and she is exaggerating. I mean, c'mon...are his arms really THAT great?? But you know what, I am okay with it. I love the fairy tale story. Even if it's not "real life," it's the same reason I love cheesy chick flicks!

Part One Discussion Questions!

Discussion Questions for Part One of Black Heels to Tractor

Wheels

From Rachel:

Has this book brought you back to the beginning of a romantic relationship in your life?

From Erin:

What surprised you about Ree? If this was your first time reading about her background, did anything surprise you about her "beginnings?"

From Nina:

While reading Part I of Black Heels, did you find yourself comparing your own love life/story to Ree's?

Would you have handled ex-boyfriend (J) the same way or differently than Ree did?

Have you ever made a life-changing decision based on a guy in your life? And how did it work out for you?

From Stephanie:

How do you think Ree's family felt that she was just going to give up going to Chicago for a guy she had just met?

From Rocky Mountain Wife:

If you were Ree and started to question your life plan (leaving Cali, moving to Chicago, being independent for a while)...how would you feel when this sudden romance came into your life at the 'wrong' time?

From Meghan:

How do you think the situation with Ree's parents affected her relationship with Marlboro Man? (Or do think it did not affect her?)

Have you ever felt an instant connection with someone? How did it turn out?

What made you relate to Ree? In what ways could you not relate to her?

From Meredith:

I love all the details of Ree's cooking for Marlboro Man in the early stages of their relationship. Have you ever made anything for the guy in your life that was just an utter disaster? Did he choke it down anyway?

From Amber:

How much of Ree's book do you think is truth or fiction? How much did she embellish? Do you think she omitted or added anything? Obviously she couldn't get EVERYTHING that happened during this period of her life in the book, but I kept wondering what was left out and if some of the stuff she was writing was built up just a teensy tiny bit.