Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for When No One Else Will by Amanda Skenandore

1. How does Mimi change and grow over the course of the novel? What lessons does she learn?
2. Regret is a recurring theme in the novel. Do you think it's possible to live a life without regret? How does regret or fear of regret drive people's choices?
3. After his accident, Stan struggles to move on. Have you ever experienced a life-changing setback? How did you move past it?
4. As detailed in the Author's Note, this story is based on an actual abortion clinic in downtown Chicago in the 1930s and early 1940s. Does this surprise you? How did the story align with your understanding of abortion and abortion access in this era? How have attitudes to abortion changed?
5. Emily, Dr. Millstone, and Ada's daughter Jennie all died on account of the trial. Do you view their deaths as unnecessary tragedies of an unjust system or the unfortunate consequences of criminal activity?
6. What role does gender inequality play in the story?
7. What place do you think controversial topics like abortion have in literature?
8. In the end, Mimi refuses Papanek's deal. Do you think she made the right choice? What choice would you have made?
9. How does faith influence Mimi and other characters' choices? How does faith—religious, spiritual, humanistic, or otherwise— influence your choices?
10. Many of the characters' actions are motivated by the desire to protect or support their families. Mimi, Daniel, and many of the women who seek abortions at the clinic are driven by this desire. Does this change how you view their actions?

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