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Book Club Discussion Questions


Liz is available to Zoom or Skype into your book club for a 30-minute chat free of charge.

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  1.  The novel explores the complexity and power of friendship, particularly Jane and Ivy’s and Cal and Brad’s. While these relationships shift over the course of the story, they remain destructive. Have you ever been in a similar “friendship?”  If so, how did it impact you?

  2. Did you suspect Brad had done something to Cal? 

  3. Ultimately, who do you think is to blame for what happens to Cal? To Emerson?

  4. At one point Cal thinks “People believed anything if you were attractive enough.” Is there truth to this statement?  

  5. Is Emerson a bad person or simply a teen swept up in the allure of social media?

  6. How did Ivy’s childhood and her mother’s hoarding shape her self-esteem and relationships?

  7. These characters are complicated and flawed. Which character did you relate to most? Did any of them evoke mixed emotions? Why do you think that was?

  8. Jane keeps Cal’s high school gambling a secret from Wade, and Ivy states that she couldn’t imagine hiding anything so important from her husband. Yet the novel ends with Ivy keeping a devastating secret from Greg. Is hiding something from your partner ever OK? Where do you draw the line?

  9. Max knows what Ivy has done yet opts to cover for her. Do you agree with his decision? What lengths would you go to to protect a loved one?

  10. In a social media post, Emerson wrote Sometimes it's the people who are right in front of you who are actually the most lost. The novel examines the facades we present to the world. Discuss.

  11. Lincoln is one of the more compassionate characters in the story. His mother tells him, “You’ve got a big, soft heart. The world’ll try to harden it. Don’t let it.” How do Lincoln and other characters lose their humanity as the novel unfolds?

  12. What do you think will happen next for these characters? 

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1. Could you relate to Claire’s day-to-day life and her longing for something different? If so, in what way?

 

2. Does Claire cross a line by keeping up a correspondence with Alex? 

 

3. Who is the bigger influence on Claire: Alex or Bea?

 

4. At one point Claire states: “But what was marriage if not recognizing someone’s shortcomings and loving them anyway?” Do you agree?

 

5. Do you think that Claire was chasing Alex or an older version of herself? 

 

6. Can someone from the past change your future? 

 

7. Referring to Bea, Claire asks, “Why was it sometimes easier to love people who weren’t family?” What are your thoughts on that?

 

8. Claire talks about running away from home. Have you ever felt this way?

 

9. Does society expect far too much from women and mothers? For example, the school nurse calls Claire about her son Joe's head lice rather than Paul. Has this been your experience? Discuss the emotional labor of caring for children and aging parents.

 

10. Claire considers writing an essay on this topic: Why do we go to so much trouble to build up friendships for our children without tending our own? Did that resonate with you?

 

11. Claire and Alex come up with ideas for novels Claire could write. Was there one you think Claire should pursue?

 

12. Claire decides to end her relationship with Abby. Do you agree with her choice? Have you ever severed a friendship that no longer served you?

 

13. At one point Claire wonders if she is “a good mother, daughter, friend, tipper?” How do you think she measures up?

 

14. How were you hoping the book would end?

 

15. Do you have a passion project? If so, or if not, how does that impact your wellbeing?

The House on Cold Creek Lane

  1. Have you ever had a neighbor you found suspicious? How did you handle it?

  2. Laurel talks about her struggle to make friends. Discuss the challenges of forming new friendships as an adult.

  3. Rob keeps the house's history a secret from Laurel. Given her past, do you agree with his decision?

  4. Overall, did you feel that Rob was protective of Laurel or overbearing?

  5. After Laurel meets Addie, she says, ‘If a tribe could consist of a single person, I’d found mine.’ What drew Laurel to Addie, and would you, too, have been taken in? 

  6. Addie states, ‘People resort to crazy things when real estate and money are involved.’ Discuss this as it pertains to the novel. Do you agree?

  7. Mother-child relationships throughout the novel are complicated. Consider the feelings Laurel, Rob, Addie, Corey, and Desiree had toward their mothers and the breakdown of Marian’s relationship with her son. 

  8. Corey and Desiree form an unlikely friendship. How do they impact one another?

  9. Corey’s relationship with Mike Moffatt takes several turns. Did she care for him, was she using him, or both? 

  10. After attending the grief group, Corey states, 'Firsts are hard, Linda said. Were seconds any easier?’ Discuss loss as a central theme.

  11. Rob and Laurel’s extended family plays a role in creating tension between them. What do you think of Emily’s choice not to include children at her wedding?

  12. Laurel and Corey change over the course of the novel. Is their behavior understandable?

  13. At the end of the novel, Corey tells her mom, ‘Mothers need to stop blaming themselves.’ Discuss how the guilt Corey carries shapes her decisions.

  14. Did the ending surprise you? What do you think happens next for these characters?

The Perfect Neighborhood

1. How does the title work in relation to the book's contents?​

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2. Was there one character  you connected with more than the others? If so, who and why?​​

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3. At what age would you allow your child to walk home from school either alone or with a friend?​​

 

4.Discuss the various relationships within the novel. Which were the strongest and which were the most toxic?​​

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5. Phil Foster is different since he returned from Afghanistan. How do you think his experiences shaped the way he behaves?​

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6. Did you suspect the villain, and, if so, at what point in the story?​

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7. If you're a parent or own a home in a seemingly “perfect neighborhood,” did this story change your perspective in any way? If so, how?​

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8. Discuss the ending. What do you think is next for each of the characters?​​

He'll Be Waiting

  1. Tess Porter allows her love for her boyfriend, James, to cloud her judgement when he asks to drive to the airport in a snowstorm to pick up his friend. What would you have done in that situation? 

  2. At the start of the novel, Tess is at odds with her best friend, Izzy. Discuss their relationship and how it evolves throughout the story.

  3. Lydia suggests Tess begin writing in a diary to help recall and process the events that led to her hospitalization. Have you ever kept a journal or diary and did you find it helpful?

  4. Tess's mother has a secret. Discuss how her deception impacts her relationships within her family and beyond.

  5. How does Annie Banks shift Tess’s attitude and worldview?​​​

  6. When Rob takes an interest in Tess, initially, she hesitates. What would you have done in her shoes?​​​

  7. This novel illustrates the interconnectedness of our actions and their ripple effect. Have you experienced this in your life? To what degree?

  8.  What do you hope will happen next for Tess?​

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