Empire Falls

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of disordered eating, graphic violence, child death and illness or death

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How does the economic decay of Empire Falls affect your reading of Miles’s choices and the possibilities available to him?

2. Empire Falls depicts the decline of small-town America in the late 20th century. Have you read other works that explore similar periods of economic devastation, such as Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath? How does Russo’s approach to this subject matter compare to other authors who’ve tackled economic collapse?

3. Miles represents the “everyman” trapped between duty and desire throughout the novel. Did his struggles feel authentic to you as a portrait of middle-aged life?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Food and weight become battlegrounds for control throughout the Roby family’s story. Which character’s struggles with body image felt most recognizable to you? How do these physical conflicts reflect the deeper emotional wounds each character carries?

2. Miles feels irresistibly drawn back to Empire Falls despite his dreams of escape - have you ever experienced a similar pull toward a place you were trying to leave? What emotions or obligations tend to drive these kinds of difficult decisions?

3. Grace’s secret affair with C.B. Whiting completely reframes Miles’s understanding of his childhood and family history. What was your reaction to this revelation? How do you think parents should handle family secrets that might profoundly affect their children’s sense of identity?

4. Weight functions as both literal concern and symbolic burden throughout the novel. Where do you personally draw the line between healthy self-sacrifice and harmful self-neglect? How do the characters’ struggles with weight reflect their broader attempts to control their lives?

5. Forgiveness becomes the ultimate test for Miles as he grapples with his mother’s choices and their consequences. What role has forgiveness played in your most significant family relationships? Do you think some betrayals are unforgivable, or can any relationship be repaired?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Post-industrial American towns facing economic collapse provide the backdrop for this novel. What real-world communities or situations does Empire Falls remind you of? How do you see the patterns Russo describes playing out in contemporary America?

2. Mrs. Whiting’s control over the town demonstrates how concentrated wealth can shape entire communities and individual destinies. How do you see this dynamic of economic power playing out in contemporary society?

3. The school shooting that devastates Empire Falls reflects ongoing concerns about youth violence in American society. How did Russo’s portrayal of this tragedy affect you as a reader? What distinguishes his treatment of school violence from typical media coverage of such events?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The Knox River serves as both geographical landmark and metaphor throughout the narrative. How does water imagery enhance your understanding of the characters’ emotional journeys? What does Russo accomplish by making the river such a central presence in the story?

2. Multiple character perspectives flow together like tributaries feeding into the main narrative river, similar to how William Faulkner employs shifting viewpoints in As I Lay Dying. How did this structure affect your reading experience? What advantages does this technique offer for understanding a small community’s dynamics?

3. Weight appears repeatedly as both physical reality and metaphor in the Roby family dynamics. What do you think the author accomplishes through this symbolic pattern of burden and control?

4. Martha’s Vineyard represents both Miles’s most treasured memories and his most impossible dreams. What does this island setting reveal about his psychological state? How does his relationship with this place illuminate his complicated feelings about his mother and their shared past?

5. Religious themes of redemption and retribution weave throughout Grace’s employment with Mrs. Whiting. How does Russo explore questions of faith and justice? What did you make of the novel’s treatment of Grace’s penance and Mrs. Whiting’s possible motivations?

6. Contrasts between Miles’s reliable exterior and his inner restlessness create the novel’s central tension. How does Russo develop this internal conflict throughout the story’s progression?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you’re tasked with creating a museum exhibit about Empire Falls during its industrial heyday. What artifacts, photographs, and stories would you include to capture both the town’s prosperity and the seeds of its decline?

2. Suppose Miles had chosen to leave Empire Falls permanently after college instead of returning for his mother’s illness. How might his life trajectory and Tick’s upbringing have unfolded differently?

3. The novel concludes with Miles and Tick returning to Empire Falls after Mrs. Whiting’s death, suggesting new possibilities. What do you anticipate for their future? Write a letter from Tick to her friend Donny in Indiana, describing what coming home feels like after witnessing such trauma.

Need more conversation starters? Inspire your group with our Discussion Questions tool.