Book Club Discussion Questions
In a book club? Subscribe to our Book Club Newsletter!
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Nuclear Disarmament and World Peace and our BookBrowse Review of Life Undercover.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
-
How did Amaryllis's childhood experiences and family life prepare her for life as a spy? Take into account the family's yearly moves, the secrets within her parents' marriage, and her genius, older brother—what role did each of those factors play?
-
Her best friends' death in the downing of the Pan Am flight had a powerful impact on Fox's life. Her father offered his eight-year-old daughter this response: "You have to understand the forces that took her. It will seem less scary if you do." What do you think of that advice? How would you have responded in his stead?
-
Even before she begins college, Fox strikes out on a mission, heading to Thailand and Burma to volunteer in a refugee camp and, later, to work for an underground newspaper. What enables someone so young—or a person of any age, really—to act with such idealism and courage? How do you account for such determination?
-
What were some of the greatest challenges in Fox's life as an undercover agent? Consider the physical danger inherent in covert operations, as well as the emotional toll it took on her.
-
(Follow-up to Question 4) Ultimately, what prompted her decision to leave the agency? What price did she realize she had paid after a decade of undercover work?
-
Finally, what lessons did Fox take away from her undercover work?
-
How does Amaryllis Fox's memoir compare with the HBO series Homeland?
Questions provided with permission from Litlovers.com: https://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/non-fiction/life-undercover-fox?start=3
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Vintage.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.