The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Mental Health in the 19th and 20th Centuries and our BookBrowse Review of The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How do the Dickinson and Wharton epigraphs at the beginning of the book relate to and set the stage for the novel? In what way do they put the book in the context of a larger literary tradition? Are there other books or authors who seem appropriate for epigraphs for this book? Why?
   


2. Some of the earliest scenes Esme shares with the reader are those from her childhood in India. What do these scenes, particularly the ones on pages 4–8, reveal about Esme and her family? What do they reveal about their place in time and society?
   


3. Iris notes on page 10 that sometimes she feels as though she is leading a “subterranean existence.” What does she mean? In what ways is this type of existence similar to or different from those of the other female characters?
   

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