The Girls with No Names Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Women's Suffrage in Early 20th Century America and our BookBrowse Review of The Girls with No Names.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Do you believe Effie's heart condition was a strength or weakness? How did this condition affect her relationships? How do you view Effie's attachment to her sister versus her attachment to her mother?
2. Do you resent Luella, or blame her for what happened? What societal conventions was she fighting against, and do you think as she was justified in this fight? Were her actions selfish, or defensible?
3. Jeanne's relationship to Effie was complex, ranging from clingy to detached. What do you think her psychological state of mind was raising a child she was told would not survive? How do you think a mother might cope living year to year in this unknown? How did this affect Jeanne's relationship with Luella and her husband Emory?

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