Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner

Book Club Discussion Questions

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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How (if at all) do you think Sophie's relationship with her mom affects her actions?
2. Do you think Sophie is a good person? How did your thoughts about her change throughout the book?
3. Discuss the aspects of Sophie's and Tash's lives that mirror each other. How do you think their shared traits affected Tash's investigation? How would the story have been different if they didn't have these similarities?
4. Discuss Jude's Stick Man bedtime story. Why do you think it comes up when it does in the novel? And how do you think it ends?
5. Do you think the accusations against Ed at his job are true? Discuss evidence for both sides.
6. Nicole goes very far to protect her friends despite not being directly involved in the situation they are covering up. Why do you think she goes so far out of her way? What would you risk for your friends?
7. Who is the villain in this story? Is there a hero?
8. Tash often associates beauty with power. She talks about thinking people seem powerful because of how they are dressed, what they look like, etc. How true do you think this is? And how is it relevant at different points throughout the book?
9. On page 370, Tash thinks about who she is. She says she is "not a bad person, I do believe that, though I suppose everybody does." Do you agree with the idea that everyone thinks they are a good person? Does every character in this book have reason to believe that they are a good person?
10. Were you surprised by the ending? Satisfied? Why or why not?
11. What do you think Tash decides to tell Christina in the end? What would you do in this situation?
12. Do you agree with the sentiment of the closing line, that truth is subjective?
13. The idea of an exclusive group bringing in an outsider is popular in media. In order to feel accepted by the other mothers, Tash starts spending more money, wearing different clothes, and changing her eating habits, among other things. Talk about this phenomenon. Does it ever work? Talk about other examples from movies, TV, books, etc.

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Gallery Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.