Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay

1. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me explores a number of thought-provoking themes, including family, loyalty, grief, secrets, and the fragility of relationships. Which theme resonated the most deeply with you and why?
2. In addition to being a crime novel, All That Is Mine I Carry With Me is also a family drama and a character study, following the Larkin family and the impact of Jane's disappearance over decades. How did these events shape the lives of Alex, Jeff, and Miranda as adults? And why do you think this case stuck so deeply with Detective Glover and George Ballis, the lawyer?
3. The author takes care to emphasize how defining a case this was in public memory, writing:
   
   "In the fall of '75, believe me, if you lived in Boston, you knew who Jane Larkin was. The local media feasted on the story, particularly in the first few weeks after her disappearance.
   
   True crime is often sensationalized and prominently featured in news headlines and the public eye. Why do you think people become so invested in cases from afar?
4. Aside from being the translation of the Latin text in Miranda's tattoo, what do you think the title of the novel means?
5. Each part of novel is told from a different character's point of view. How did that deepen the story? Did any section particularly stand out for you? If so, why?
6. Book 2, which initially seems to be written from Jane's perspective, turns out to have been written by Miranda as a creative outlet. What did you think of that section? What does that tell us about how Miranda has been impacted by her mother's disappearance and the long unanswered uncertainty surrounding that event?
7. How did each of the characters change over the course of the novel?
8. There are many intense family scenes in All That Is Mine I Carry With Me. Which ones stayed with you most and why?
9. A little more than halfway through the novel, after Jane's bones are found and the DA decides not to pursue a case against Dan, there's a tense discussion between the family. Did you side with Jane's sister Kate or Dan's son Alex, and why? What would you have done in that situation?
10. There are a number of secrets revealed over the course of the narrative, including Dan's assault of Jane and Jane's suicide attempt, neither of which were discussed for a long time. Why do you think Kate and Jeff kept these secrets? Have you ever kept such an impactful secret from your loved ones?
11. What message was Kate trying to convey with the Bible verse she had the priest read at Jane's burial ceremony?
12. While reading All That Is Mine I Carry With Me, did you believe Dan murdered Jane? Why or why not? When and how did you come to that conclusion? Were you thrown off by the red herrings?
13. How did you feel at the end of the novel? What message(s) did you take away from reading it?

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