Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Out of Esau by Michelle Webster-Hein

1. What meanings do you make from the title "Out of Esau," besides its connection to the final scene of the novel?
2. The biblical story of Jacob and Esau is woven throughout the novel, with Robert coming to view Esau as the victim of the story rather than the villain. How does this mirror Robert's shift in how he sees himself?
3. The story of Jacob and Esau also relates to the theme of inheritance. How do you see each character grappling with what they've inherited?
4. Which of the five perspectives struck you as reliable, and which did not?
5. In one way, Out of Esau is a story of outsiders. How does each character's outsider status contribute to the stuck situation in which they find themselves?
6. Leotie, a victim of forced sterilization, loses custody of Robert as a child. After a time, she stops trying to get him back, and at first Robert holds her to blame for this. Do you think he is right to do so? Why or why not?
7. Robert and Randy have both faced significant trauma throughout their lives, but the trauma has shaped each of them in strikingly different ways. Why do you think this is?
8. Would you consider Randy a villain? Why or why not?
9. After a date with Randy early in the novel Susan reflects that, "it was the ordinary things that kept you where you were—the places you landed together in relief, after the jags you traveled over to get there." Ultimately, though, Susan finds this revelation insufficient. What is it that finally pushes her to abandon the ordinary for the possibility of a better life?
10. At the end of the novel, Willa is able to give away the angel statue that she relied so heavily on. What events most affected this transformation and how?
11. What similarities does the village of Esau share with the characters of the novel?
12. Near the novel's beginning, while contemplating the story of Jacob and Esau, Robert wonders, "Was he, Robert, Esau? Was he repenting for something he'd never even done? What had he sold for this church, this pretense of belonging, this morsel of meat?" How do you think Robert would answer this question when he arrives at the end of the book?
13. Do you think Robert sees himself as leaving his faith behind? Why or why not?

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