Evidence of the Affair

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the novella’s epistolary format shape your reading experience? Did it make the story feel more intimate, or did it create distance?

2. If you’ve read other Taylor Jenkins Reid books like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Daisy Jones & the Six, how does Evidence of the Affair compare in tone, style, or themes? How would you rank this novella among Reid’s other works, and why?

3. Did the novella’s conclusion strike you as uplifting, bittersweet, or unresolved? Why do you think Reid chose to close the story this way?

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

1. If you were in David’s shoes, would you have responded to Carrie’s first letter or ignored it? What would you hope to gain or avoid by your choice?

2. Do you think infidelity within marriage is a dealbreaker, or can trust be rebuilt? What boundaries or conditions matter most to you within a marriage?

3. Letters in Evidence of the Affair reveal truths the characters cannot share face-to-face. How do you feel about written forms of communication: letters, emails, text messages, and DMs? Do you find it easier or harder to express yourself through writing, and why?

4. Carrie and David find unexpected comfort in someone outside their marriage. How do you feel about emotional intimacy with someone who is not a spouse or partner? Does it count as betrayal, or can it be a source of healthy support?

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

1. How does the historical background of the 1970s contribute to the novella’s themes and characters? Would this story work if it were set in the present day and told through emails or text messages instead of letters? Why or why not?

2. Gender roles were shifting dramatically during the late 1970s. How does the novella reflect or resist the cultural expectations placed on women like Carrie and Janet, and on men like David and Ken?

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

1. How does Reid portray marriage as a symbol of both comfort and confinement? Does the novella ultimately privilege one view over the other?

2. How do Carrie and David evolve through their correspondence? Which character undergoes the more profound transformation, and why?

3. Ken’s letters appear only halfway through the novella. What is the narrative effect of withholding Ken’s voice until this point? How does the revelation of his letters reshape the narrative?

4. How does Evidence of the Affair compare to other literary explorations of infidelity, like The Paris Wife by Paula McLain or The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller? How do these works portray the impact of betrayal on marriage, identity, and personal growth?

5. What possibilities and limitations does the epistolary form create? Consider this novella in conjunction with classic epistolary novels like Dracula by Bram Stoker and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, as well as more contemporary works in the genre like The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were adapting Evidence of the Affair into a movie, who would you cast in the roles of Carrie, David, Janet, and Ken?

2. Create a soundtrack for the book that includes only artists from the 1970s. You can choose to include the artists mentioned in the novella (Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell) or not, depending on your preference.

3. Write a letter from David’s perspective, replying to Carrie’s final letter. What does it say? What happens next in their story?