Little Deaths Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Roots of the True Crime Genre and our BookBrowse Review of Little Deaths.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How would you describe the sense of place in Little Deaths and how does the novel present the world of 1960s New York?
2. What were your first impressions of Ruth, and how did your opinion of her evolve throughout the book? Did you like her? How much d id you sympathise with her?
3. To what extent did you feel Ruth was in control of her life? What pressures did you feel she was under from the other characters and – as a woman, and as a mother – from society as a whole?

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