Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin

1. Effie is obviously hesitant to return to New Zealand, so why does she go? Have you ever felt compelled to do something you dreaded?
2. Children view the world differently than adults. They place an importance on different things and interpret situations differently. In which moments do you get a sense that Anya is seeing a different world than the adults around her?
3. What does Anya do that surprised you or that, by adult standards, felt illogical?
4. What echoes of young Effie do you see in her as an adult?
5. Effie and Lewis are still drawn to each other after years apart. In your own experience, is first love stronger than more mature love?
6. Why do you think Anya goes to the bridge? What is she so frightened of?
7. Did your feelings toward Effie's father change over the course of the book, and if so, how?
8. When Effie first arrives back at the hut, what did you guess happened there?
9. Should Effie trust in Lewis more and accept his help, or would that undermine her own strength? Are you frustrated by her self-reliance, or do you feel sympathetic toward her?
10. There is a powerful pull on each character to return to their place of origin. Have you felt such a pull in your own life?
11. Was Effie's dad right to hide the truth for so many years?
12. Did learning about Adam's childhood affect the way you felt about him? To what extent are we responsible for our adult actions, and how much is an unavoidable consequence of our childhood?
13. Did the descriptions of the bush make you want to go there or scare you off?
14. For the most part, technology doesn't intrude on the characters' lives. Does that strike you as appealing?
15. Do you think Effie will stay in New Zealand or return to Scotland? Why?
16. How did the last lines make you feel? Did they make you keep thinking about what would happen next for the characters?

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