1– One of the themes of Wreckage is hiding who we really are for fear of judgment. Lillian starts the story wearing a mask of make-up, pretending she’s a different person. On the outside, Dave is a successful businessman starting a family, but on the inside he’s discontent and uncomfortable in his own skin. In what ways do you or people you know “hide”?
2– Genevieve Randall is a journalist with a hard edge. What do you think she was planning to get out of the interview with Lillian and Dave? How does the media manipulate our perceptions of people or events by their approach to a story?
3– How is the plane crash and resulting traumas similar to trials in our own lives? Have you ever experienced a trauma that hit you when you didn’t expect it and changed the trajectory of your life? If you look at Kent, Lillian and Dave’s post-crash life, how could some of their experiences apply metaphorically to ways trauma changes people?
4– Lillian and Dave were friends first, starting with their interaction on the plane. For each character, at what moment did that friendship turn into something more? With both of them in committed relationships, did you consider their affair on the island cheating?
5– What do you think was the “point of no return” for Lillian when she decided that no one could know what happened on the island? What kind of secrets could entice you to lie to the people you love?
6– Jerry Linden and Beth Hall both welcome their spouses back without hesitation. Jerry knows most of Lillian’s secrets where as Beth is (apparently) ignorant of them. Why do you think Jerry let Lillian back into his life after discovering what really happened on the island? Do you think Beth would’ve made the same decision if she’d had all the information?
7– With the media culture that surrounds modern news coverage, would telling the truth have been more devastating than lying? Could Lillian and Dave’s relationships have survived the glare of the media spotlight if they’d told the truth? Do you think your life and relationships would survive similar attention?
8– Both Lillian and Dave have strong emotions when it comes to the idea of parenthood. How did their feelings about being a mother/father effect the choices they make through the story? Have you noticed yourself or someone close to you change after becoming a parent?
9– People either love or hate the ending of If YOU had the opportunity to write a new ending, what would it be?
1– Natalie kept a lot of secrets from her husband Luke, some life changing. One of the biggest reasons for her letters was to reveal this information to Luke in a slow, methodical manner. This plan gave her comfort but ended up being a confusing and painful process for Luke. When do you think she should have told Luke her secrets? In life, are there ever secrets that shouldn’t be told?
2– Though they were best friends, Annie and Natalie were very different in many ways. After learning about Natalie through her letters and Annie through her growing relationship with Luke and his children, why do you think these two women became friends? What does it take to find, make and keep a friendship like these two women had?
3– Natalie’s letters were more than just letters of comfort. She gave some very pointed and sometimes uncomfortable suggestions as to how Luke should move forward with their family. Natalie was a very loving mother but do you think she fully thought through the impact of her letters on her children? Do you think her letters were controlling or loving, selfish or selfless? What is the line between the two?
4– Luke has a deep fear of turning out like his abusive and alcoholic father. In fact, many of his daily decisions revolve around avoiding falling into the unhealthy examples from his youth. In what ways was Luke at risk for falling into the abusive patterns of his childhood? How do you think he escaped those tendencies when so many victims of childhood abuse fall into the same patterns as adults either as abusers themselves or perpetual enablers? What do you think was the key moment in Luke’s life that put him down this healthy and self-aware path?
5– On pg. 204 when talking about his relationship with Natalie and his growing concerns about her secrets, Luke says to Annie, “You can’t assume everything is okay inside the house just because the paint isn’t peeling and the yard is neatly mowed.” How is that true in the various relationships in this story? Have you witnessed this phenomenon either in your own life or in the world around you?
6– Why do you think Annie went back to Brian when she was already out and safe at Luke’s house? Do you think it was wrong of Luke to break away from Annie when she made that decision? Why do you think it took Brian’s aggressive behavior toward Luke to give her the strength to move forward?
7– Jessie quickly became an integral part of the Richardson family after Luke followed Natalie’s request to hire the college student. What do you think made it possible for her to slip into that role as caregiver and friend so easily? Do you think Natalie had any idea how serious Jessie’s health issues were? Do you think Jessie’s chronic illness ever factored into the decision to weave her into the family unit before revealing the depth of their connection?
8– Natalie’s mother, Terry, was an often times harsh and unlikable character through most of the novel. How did your opinion of Terry change as Natalie’s secrets were revealed? How did her final decision to help Jessie affect your opinion of her?
9– The letters were written to Luke but could perhaps hold great meaning to all members of the Richardson family. Should Luke share the letters with his children, Terry and Annie or is that an invasion of Natalie’s privacy?
10– Do you think Natalie predicted a connection between Annie and Luke as she was planning out her interventions in their lives? If not, do you think she would’ve been happy with his decision to pursue that relationship? Do you think that Annie and Luke are a good match romantically? If you could write a final chapter, what would you have happen between Annie and Luke?
1. Tara is controlled by Mother’s extreme rules and punishments. Do you think she should have or could have left Mother sooner? Do you think at twenty years old, she should take more responsibility for her life? Why or why not?
2. Tara uses fantasy in her life to make her day to day world more bearable. She uses the escape of her dolls and the vlogging families she follows on YouTube. What are some ways that Tara’s experience with numbing or distraction are found in real–life situations that may be less extreme than hers?
3. The Feely Family acts like a loving family in their online videos but have the same issues that burden most homes off screen. It is possible to escape “fake” happiness on line ? What are the benefits or dangers of such misrepresentations?
4. Why do you think Stan and Alyssa Feely wanted to hire Tara/Angela as their intern when they had so many other options? Were their original intentions pure?
5. Henry is an off–screen member of the Feely family. Why do you think he choose not to participate on screen with the rest of the family? Why do you think he stays with the family business when he has so many other options?
6. Tara/Angela is afraid to be seen in more ways than one. Why do you think she keeps up the façade that she is pregnant? Why do you think she would rather hide than ask for help? How are other members of the Feely family also hiding?
7. In what ways do Tara and Henry’s relationships with their overbearing parent parallel? In what ways are they both “trapped”?
8. In the final chapter of WHAT IT SEEMS, Tara/Angela seems to be on her way to the “normal” life she craved but in what ways is that also not “what it seems”? As a long–term victim of trauma, what kind of lingering issues do you think she will carry with her throughout her life, relationships and family?
9. If you could’ve given Tara one piece of advice in the first chapter of What It Seems, what would it be?
1. Hannah moves to Senatobia with the express mission of helping her Mamaw recover from an injury, but her true motivation is to have a change of scenery to recover from the losses in her life. In what ways did this choice improve her life? In what ways did it hinder her progress? Have you ever made a choice to put physical distance between yourself and a problem in your life? What was the result?
2. Mamaw was raised in a time and culture that encouraged a whitewashing of reality to cover up any family struggles or difficulties with niceties. This profoundly ingrained habit makes it difficult for Mamaw to be vulnerable and share her true thoughts, feelings, and experiences without fear of judgment. Hannah is the opposite. She is almost too free to speak without thinking or without a filter. Which point of view do you relate to better? As both women found a middle ground, how did their lives change for the better?
3. Hannah’s relationship with Alex ended suddenly when she uncovered his infidelity. Still, nine months after the end of their relationship, she is heartbroken. Why do you think she found it so hard to let go? Why, when she is a reasonably tough woman in many ways, was she willing to let him back into her life? How did her experience with Evelyn’s story help her grow into the woman who could walk away from Alex and move on with her life?
4. Evelyn’s story is mainly based on a true story from the author’s great aunt Evelyn, shared in a letter passed down through generations. Knowing that her story is based largely on facts, what are the most surprising elements? What parts of Evelyn’s story would be different if it had happened in 2021? What elements would be the same?
5. Jack Dawson and Hannah had an instant kinship that took them both by surprise. Why did a busy guy like Jack Dawson want to be involved in Hannah’s investigation? After discovering Jack and Hannah’s connection, do you think that had anything to do with their dynamic?
6. Hannah’s hyper–focus on Evelyn and Alex leads to Guy’s devastating arrest. What do you think of Guy’s reaction to the situation? Do you think he over/under/appropriately reacted? How do you think you’d have responded if you’d been in his place?
7. Hannah’s outrage at social in justice is well–intended but became frustrating to Guy, who, as a Black man, had to live with the realities of race and prejudice in America. What’s left unsaid discussion questions.docx He often challenged Hannah’s somewhat self–righteous outlook with his life experiences and point of view. In what ways do you relate to Hannah? How about Mamaw, who was raised in a different time and culture? How about Guy? What do you think each point of view provides when it comes to empathy and understanding?
8. Guy and Hannah’s relationship developed out of a reluctant friendship that ended up working as they came to appreciate each other, even on the other side of a complicated conflict. What do you think worked about their opposites–attract kind of romance? What do you think Guy found interesting about the hard–nosed Hannah? Why did Hannah find it so hard to let herself fall for Guy? Do you think they will be happy in a year? Ten?
9. Mamaw learned some surprising things about her own family as a result of Hannah’s investigation. At first, she was reluctant to allow Hannah to share the revelation with the world. Have you ever had a family secret come to light? What changed as a result? Was it a positive experience, or are some things truly better left unsaid?
1. What role do you think growing up in Broadlands played in Ellie and Amelia’s upbringing? What were positives and negatives of growing up in such a small town?
2. Ellie postpones or possibly abandons the dream of becoming a doctor in order to stay home and care for her father after his stroke. Do you think this was the right decision? What do you think her father would have told her to do? What advice would you give to Ellie?
3. When Ellie is told that her sister is inside of the office, seriously wounded, she breaks with protocol and goes inside to help her. Would you have made the same decision and why? How do you think treating her own sister effected the young paramedic’s ability to deliver treatment effectively?
4. Amelia and Randy become fast friends, she is also friends with Caleb, Ellie is friends with Travis and Steve has a friendship with Susan the insurance agent. Do you think platonic friendships between men and women are possible?
5. Caleb is in love with Amelia but is this the only motivation in Caleb’s story? Can unrequited love ever hold up to the fantasy in the holder’s imagination? Do you think he and Amelia would be happy together?
6. Why doesn’t Amelia question Steve more? Do you think she is weak or is the victim of a toxic relationship? What advice would you give to Amelia if she were your sister?
7. Ellie and Amelia have a close relationship despite their age difference. What do you think bonded them together so completely? How do they maintain that relationship? Do you think that the trauma they experienced in WORKING FIRE will bring them closer together or make them grow apart?
8. Randy seems like a nice guy on the surface but ends up being easily manipulated by Steve into all kinds of misdeeds. What made Randy so malleable? Do you think his intentions were pure, in trying to save his son, or do you think he helped Steve out of greed?
9. At times Steve seemed to be a loving husband but in other moments he was critical, controlling and manipulative and eventually destructive and heartless. Were there clues to Steve’s true character throughout the story? When did you start to pick up on who Steve really was? Have you ever met someone like “Steve” and if so, how did you deal with that type of personality?
10. Ellie’s fiancé, Collin, lies to her multiple times in order to help his brother which is the main reason Ellie breaks up with him. Do you think his loyalty to Caleb was justified? Do you think Ellie made the right decision?
11. At the end of WORKING FIRE Ellie comes to look at fire in a new way, both literally and figuratively. In Chapter 39 it reads: “Sometimes fire wasn’t about destruction—sometimes it was about renewal. Sometimes fire was necessary.” What does this mean to you? What were the “necessary fires” in WORKING FIRE? How have you seen this concept at work in real life?
“I just finished When I’m Gone, I usually don’t write to authors but this book moved me. Having experienced losing a spouse the feelings described in the book are very real. The ups and downs, the anger and guilt, I know are classic grief patterns; but when you go through them you feel like you are the first and you are alone.”
