Book Summary and Reviews of The Body Lies by Jo Baker

Book Summary

A dark, thrilling new novel from the best-selling author of Longbourn: a work of riveting psychological suspense that grapples with how to live as a woman in the world--or in the pages of a book--when the stakes are dangerously high.

When a young writer accepts a job at a university in the remote English countryside, it's meant to be a fresh start, away from the bustle of London and the scene of a violent assault she is desperate to forget. But despite the distractions of her new life and the demands of single motherhood, her nerves continue to jangle. To make matters worse, a vicious debate about violence against women inflames the tensions and mounting rivalries in her creative-writing class. When a troubled student starts turning in chapters that blur the lines between fiction and reality, the professor recognizes herself as the main character in his book--and he has written her a horrific fate. Will she be able to stop life imitating art before it's too late? At once a breathless cat-and-mouse game and a layered interrogation of the fetishization of the female body, The Body Lies gives us an essential story for our time that will have you checking the locks on your doors.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. As readers, we never discover the main character's name. Why do you think Jo Baker decided to keep her anonymous? How does an unnamed narrator bring greater significance to the story?
2. In the first chapter, the main character experiences a violent sexual assault. In the chapters that follow, how does she process this attack, both consciously and unconsciously? What role does fear play in the narrator's development? What different choices would she have made had she not been assaulted at the beginning, if any?
3. It doesn't take long for the reader to see Nick's obsession with his creative writing teacher. Where does Nick's obsession stem from? Why is the narrator conflicted about what to do rather than immediately reporting ...