To Janie Margolis, “assistant contractor” sounds like the ideal job for a mom whose role raising kids has become routine―but her perfect plan starts to unravel when she and her husband, Wim, find themselves arguing about everything from money to masonry to man caves. Then the economy collapses, and it’s hard to surmount the reality ahead: they are about to sink their entire savings into rebuilding a new house they can’t afford while trying unsuccessfully to sell the one they already own. Will Janie back herself so far into a corner that she’ll find herself homeless before she finds herself a home?

From crushes on contractors to frenzied shopping expeditions to the erection of a cupola that looks a little too phallic for her upscale new neighborhood―or really any neighborhood!―Janie navigates the pitfalls of building. Along the way, she deals with a con artist kitchen designer, a construction worker and architect who fight like schoolgirls, and a tile guy who turns her shower into a pornographic work of art, all while struggling to stay out of debt and keep her marriage going.

“With wit and empathy, Lisa Tognola unpacks the all-American dream of the perfect house. Janie Margolis’s obsession with cabinet hinges and cupolas, driveway vectors and Calacatta tile may have its roots in childhood anxieties and pesky yearnings for security and control, but it is also a quest for aesthetic excellence and for a place to nurture family. Tognola had me turning pages to see whether Janie’s journey would end in happily-ever-after or the poorhouse.”
― Pamela Erens, award-winning author of Eleven Hours, a Best book of 2016 by NPR

“If you love Love It or List It, read As Long As It’s Perfect by Lisa Tognola”
― Parade Magazine

“A book perfect for new mamas and fans of HGTV alike, this new release is a relatable read your book club will love this fall”
― Brit + Co

“This was such a great story! As Long As It’s Perfect by Lisa Tognola full of relatable characters and a great journey! Make sure to add it to your list!”
— Crossroads Reviews

“As Long As It’s Perfect is a heartfelt story about family, second chances and what it means to find true happiness.”
— Alison Luther, She Reads

This reading group guide is intended to support your discussion of As Long As It’s Perfect, Lisa Tognola’s debut novel about one woman’s obsession with perfection and how far she’ll go to get what she wants, no matter the cost to herself and her family.

In June of 2007—still heady Wall Street days when banks haven’t yet nose-dived and the housing bubble hasn’t quite burst— Wim, a 41-year-old Wall Street banker, and Janie, a 40-year-old suburban housewife, are finally getting ready to demolish an old house in Rye, New York, that will be replaced by the home of their dreams.

But when a bulldozer rolls in and crushes their newly purchased “fixer-upper,” more than a wrecking ball hits home. Somewhere between the time that the roof goes up and the siding is delivered, the country is hit with the worst recession in recent US history. They are supposed to be the smart people who understand what is happening. Instead, they are a couple paralyzed by hope and fear, who continue moving further into debt as they launch into a-two-year-long construction endurance test that ends with Janie discovering that dreams can be realized, but the only way to authentic happiness is through truth and acceptance.

1. From the prologue of the book we learn about Janie’s playhouse. Why did the author choose to begin the story there? What are the major themes of the book? Does the theme of the book relate to the protagonist’s gender? How?

2. What was your initial reaction to the book? Did it hook you immediately or did it take some time?

3. Are Janie and Wim likeable characters? Why or why not? How did your opinion of them change throughout the story? Which character did you relate to the most, and what was it about them that you connected with?

4. How understandable were the motivations of the characters? What motivated the behavior of the characters?

5. At one point in the book, while Janie and Wim are in couple’s therapy, Janie says to the therapist, “I think we’re ready for an upgrade.” Why is this line significant to the story and to her life?

6. Is the period in which the book is set important to the theme? Why? What made the setting unique or important? Could the story have taken place anywhere? In what other location might the book have been set?

7. The novel is told from one point of view with Janie narrating throughout the book and the author using flashbacks. Why do you think the author chose to write the book this way? How did the structure affect the story?

8. How did homebuilding impact Janie and Wim’s marriage? Did it help or hurt their marriage?

9. Does Janie experience character growth/transformation? If so, when? In what form? Do you feel hopeful about her future?

10. Did the author leave loose ends? What were they? What do you think happens to Janie and Wim next (after the last page is turned)? How did you feel about the ending? What did you like, what didn’t you like, and what do you wish had been different?

11. What do you think the author wanted the reader to get out of the book? Did the book change your opinion or perspective about anything? Do you feel different now than you did before you read it?

If your book club would like to read As Long As It’s Perfect, I would be happy to try to attend the meeting, either in person (if geography permits) or online via Skype or FaceTime.