Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Paris Undercover by Matthew Goodman

1. First, a show of hands: Who among you already knew the history of the Nazi occupation of Paris before reading this book? How, if at all, did Paris Undercover affect or alter your understanding of this dark chapter in world history?
2. Author Matthew Goodman puts a human face on World War II by bringing the character of Etta Shiber to life. Talk about the storytelling techniques he used to create action and suspense—and to keep you turning the pages. How did Goodman transform Etta's real-life experiences into a work of nonfiction that reads like a novel?
3. Take a moment to discuss your reading preferences and expectations. Would you rather read a true, first-person account of a particular event or era versus a fictional one? Why or why not?
4. Discuss the significance of Etta's own memoir, Paris-Underground. How do you think its existence shaped Goodman's understanding of Etta's humanity and activism? You may wish to take a moment to imagine, and discuss, the fact that Kate Bonnefous was unaware of its publication and reception as well.
5. What made Etta Shiber and Kate Bonnefous unlikely heroines during the Nazi occupation of Paris? How, if at all, did their personal histories—their desires, humanity, activism—resonate with you?
6. Etta was an American Jew who became a supporter of the Ethical Culture Society; Kate was an Englishwoman whose father and brother were members of Masonic organizations, and who gave birth to her son out of wedlock. Talk about how each woman's identity influenced her actions and shaped her fate.
7. Etta and Kate demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience in the face of danger and imprisonment. What did you learn about the role of women in resistance efforts during World War II? This might be a good opportunity to share your own stories about any women (or men) in your own life who served or offered support during that war, or during more recent conflicts, as well.
8. If you had a chance to meet Etta and/or Kate, and ask each of them one question, what might it be?

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