The Things She’s Seen is the perfect next read for your book club—a mystery so good and an ending so surprising, you’ll need to talk about it as soon as you’re finished. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s a list questions to guide your discussion, and you can fill out the form below for a chance to win a set of five copies of the book and a copy of the audio book!
1. There’s a mystery beneath a mystery in this book—the fire at the orphanage was just the beginning. . . . Looking back, how are the pieces of the second mystery layered into the narrative? Did you see the final twist coming?
2. One of the most compelling parts of the narrative is Beth’s father’s grief over the loss of his child. How is this affected by Beth’s presence? Does his journey mirror the typical stages of grief? How did it differ?
3. The Things She’s Seen deals with one small town’s dark history, including missing girls, racism, and corruption. How do you think the town will move on after the events in the story?
4. Catching’s narrative shifts in tone and form. Why do you think these chapters were written in verse? How does this affect your understanding of her story?
5. There are a lot of discussions about life after death in this story— how does it differ from other books that address this topic? How do Beth and Catching’s experiences and opinions evolve throughout?
6. The authors, Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, are a brother-sister team of Aboriginal writers who come from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The audio book is narrated by Miranda Tapsell, an Indigenous Australian actress. Does their personal heritage bring an added layer of meaning to the story? Host an open discussion in your group about the power of underrepresented voices and personal narrative.
