See What I Have Done Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Domestic Workers in the US and our BookBrowse Review of See What I Have Done.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The novel opens with an excerpt from a poem by Emily Dickinson: "We outgrow love like other things / And put it in a drawer." Do you agree with this idea? Why, or why not? How does it help to shape the story? Why do Schmidt's characters outgrow love, and how do they handle that loss?
2. We're first introduced to Lizzie with an excerpt from her real-life inquest testimony. Talk about what this immediately reveals about Lizzie, and how this sets the tone for the novel that follows.
3. The book's central mystery is based on an actual murder. Were you familiar with the crime? If not, did you stop at some point and research the case? Discuss whether your reading of the novel was affected by knowing that it was inspired by a true story. What are some pleasures and drawbacks of reading historical novels? Talk about why it is or isn't important for the author to achieve an accurate portrayal of historical events.

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