Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan

1. The Cliffs begins with the limited scope of Jane's adolescent life. As she recites local history to the passengers on Abe Adams's lobster boat and navigates the summer program at Bates College, what does she know about the world and her place in it? How does that knowledge change by the end of the novel?
2. Why is Jane drawn to the violet-colored Victorian house? What forms of refuge does it provide to her, despite its dilapidated condition?
3. Discuss Lake Grove's rumored curse that the women who move there end up alone. What common threads are shared by the husbands, from Captain Littleton and Herbert Martinson to Paul Richards? Is it a curse to end up alone? Which of the house's inhabitants were the least lonely?
4. What accounts for the differences between Jane and Holly, even though they were raised under the same circumstances? How do their sibling ties compare to Hannah and Agnes's? And to Eliza and Emily's?
5. Despite her intense need to be independent, Jane tries repeatedly to save her marriage. In what ways were she and David a good fit for each other and yet a terrible match? In contrast, Jane thrives on her friendship with Allison. What enables their bond to strengthen over the years?
6. What were you predicting for Sister Eliza's story? How does she serve as a reminder of the voices that remain silent to even the most skilled historical researchers?
7. In chapter 16, Brother Michael tells Jane that the goal of the Shaker faith was utopia, adding, "Imagine what the world could have been had they [the naysayers] listened." What's your reaction to that wish?
8. Do you believe that the dead can communicate with the living? Is there any harm done at places like Camp Mira?
9. Discuss the novel's many different depictions of motherhood and childhood, including Genevieve's recounting of her own painful girlhood (page 223). Where does Daisy ultimately lead Jane and Genevieve? If you were Marilyn, would you be able to forgive Mary Flanagan?
10. For Mary, her daughter, and her granddaughter, what are the legacies of alcoholism? What factors beyond genetics perpetuate it in their family?
11. The Cliffs is packed with historical artifacts, from the small Indigenous basket to Staffordshire china, the bonnet, the jar of marbles, and many other tangible pieces of the past. To some, the only value that matters is the financial one. What are the other, nonmonetary reasons to preserve and display such artifacts? What are the most cherished possessions in your own family archive? How much do you know about the final resting places of your ancestors? Which of their stories have survived for generations?
12. In Naomi's chapter, with scenes of the first people to encounter the cliff and ascribe a sacred purpose to it, what do we learn about the way conquerors use history to perpetuate their power? What does it take for hidden histories—including unmarked burial sites—to be reclaimed and illuminated?
13. J. Courtney Sullivan's storytelling provides a distinctive perspective on life's turning points. Which turning points resonated with you the most in The Cliffs and in her previous novels that you have read?

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