Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Stranger at the Wedding by A. E. Gauntlett

Book Club Discussion Questions

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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The Stranger at the Wedding begins with the story of Pandora opening her box. She unleashes evil and suffering, but she also unleashes hope. What actions throughout the novel are driven by hope? Do you see hope as a force for good throughout the novel?
2. How was Annie shaped by her childhood traumas? To what extent do those traumas explain her actions in the book?
3. How is Mark's attraction to Annie informed by the disappearance of his first wife? How does the novel explore trauma bonding through Mark and Annie's relationship?
4. The presence of a stranger at one's wedding raises the worry that ostensible well-wishers may in fact not have one's best interests at heart. At what points throughout the novel do characters who are supposed to be supportive actually harm one another?
5. Even the happiest weddings are often scary for those involved. Have you ever felt scared or nervous about the marriage of someone close to you?
6. When Annie settles into her marriage with Mark, she falls out of touch with her friend Laura. Do you agree with Annie that some friendships "serve a purpose" and are not meant to last forever?
7. When Cameron begins to suspect Annie, he confronts her directly. Why do you think he does this? What would you have done?
8. Cameron remarks that he and Annie are not so unalike. Do you agree?
9. Annie judges that Mark was trapped in a loveless marriage with Hope. What do you think of the marriage Mark and Hope had? To what extent is it possible to judge someone else's marriage?
10. Annie is a professor of history who begins teaching mythology. What is the significance of history and mythology in the novel? In what ways are these subjects similar and different?
11. The rabbit, as a symbol, appears throughout. Beyond the game that the children used to play, what do you think is the relevance of this particular leitmotif? Why a rabbit?
12. Did you want Annie to get caught by Mark in the end? Why or why not?

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