Prima Facie Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, How to Build an Emotional Safety Net and our BookBrowse Review of Prima Facie.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Had you ever heard before that the defense attorney's role is not to question whether or not their client is guilty or innocent - and in fact, it's ill-advised to ask the client if they are or not? If you have heard this ideology before, how did Prima Facie shape your views on this? If you hadn't heard this before, how did you react to that philosophy when it was first introduced?
2. How do class structures in the UK play a role in Prima Facie? How does it impact your opinion of Tessa and the other attorneys she works with?
3. How does the inclusion of Tessa's brother, Johnny, shape your view of Tessa's trauma? How would the narrative have differed if Tessa had a sister?

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