Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

1. What do you think made Ellice so driven when it came to school and her career? Was she equally focused on other aspects of her life (e.g. friendships, romance, family)?
2. Despite what she says in the book, do you think Ellice actually loved Michael? Do you think her feelings were a factor in any of her decisions?
3. What did you think of the sibling relationship between Sam and Ellice? Do you think Ellice was responsible for Sam's problems and/or could she have prevented them?
4. Ellice gives some leeway to Willow towards the end of the book despite some of her complicity in what happened at Houghton. What do you think Ellice's thought process was? Do you agree or disagree with her?
5. Ellice rubs up against Detective Bradford at multiple points in the novel. What do you think of these two characters? Do you think they're in similar positions or do you think they're purely antagonists?
6. What did you think of Detective Bradford's advice to Ellice at the end of the book?
7. What did you think of the other women in the book and their respective journeys, like Willow, Anna and even Grace in their quest to strike independence from the men in their lives?
8. What do you think of Vera's philosophy of "saving the babies"?
9. Do you think Nate was complicit in the schemes at Houghton?
10. What do you think of Ellice's decision to leave everything behind and take care of Vera?
11. How do you think the author handled the tougher topics in the book, such as racism, sexism, and abuse?
12. Why do you think this story took place in Atlanta, Georgia and not any other city in the country or in the South?
13. There was a lot of discussion about family in the book whether it was the "Houghton family" or Ellice's personal relationships with Sam, Vera, Martha, Rudy and Grace. What do you think of the theme of family in this book and how do you define it?
14. Did you expect the ending of the book? Or did you have a completely different idea of how the story was going to end?

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