Finding Grace

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss your overall impressions of Finding Grace. Which were your favorite or least favorite aspects of the novel, and why?

2. Compare and contrast Finding Grace to other domestic drama or mystery novels. For example, what narrative or thematic threads do you notice between Rothschild’s novel and titles like Tarryn Fisher’s The Wives or Claire Lombardo’s Same As It Ever Was?

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

1. Finding Grace begins with a shocking event that derails what seems to be a normal, if somewhat tense, family vacation. Have you ever experienced a disruption to what was supposed to be a special event? How did it affect your life going forward?

2. Tom Wharton avoids telling Grace the truth throughout the novel. Have you ever kept a similarly weighty secret from a love interest or loved one before? What were the repercussions?

3. How does Tom’s family and home life compare and contrast with your own? Which aspects of Tom’s parental or marital dynamics resonate with your own family culture?

4. Tom finds love in the wake of his loss via Henry and Grace. Which aspects of Tom’s redemption resonate with your own experience? Have you ever found love and hope from unlikely relationships? How did these connections save you?

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

1. The novel’s inciting incident is a bombing in Paris, France. Analyze the historical, social, and political implications of fictionalizing such an event. How does the plot point resonate with actual terrorist attacks in France? Consider why Rothschild never delves further into this incident beyond its initial depiction.

2. Written from the deceased main character’s first-person point of view, the novel offers a contemporary twist on a long tradition of exploring death and grief in literature. How does Rothschild subvert or reinforce Western ideas about loss and sorrow? What new examinations of these experiences does she offer the contemporary reader?

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

1. Finding Grace is written from Honor’s first-person point of view, even after she passes away. Explore the narrative and thematic significance of this point of view. How would the novel resonate differently if told from an alternate point of view?

2. Analyze Tom’s character arc. Is he a dynamic character? What are his distinguishing character traits and greatest obstacles throughout the novel? Is he a sympathetic character? Why or why not?

3. The novel explores the Moral Challenges of Owning the Truth. How do Tom’s lies of omission convey his emotional and psychological unrest? Which aspects of his moral conundrum are most believable, and why?

4. Identify three symbols not explored in this guide and discuss their significance. For example, what do images like Sprezzatura, the pram, or the Baudelaire poem represent, and how do they serve higher thematic purposes in the novel?

5. Compare and contrast Honor’s and Grace Stone’s characters. With which woman did you identify most closely? Which character’s personality resonated most with your own, and why?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine an alternate ending to the novel. How do you imagine Tom’s life would transpire differently if Grace hadn’t forgiven him? Would he be able to move on? Who would help him overcome his sorrow over losing Grace, and how?

2. Imagine that you are Tom, and you found the interview CD. What would you do similarly or differently from him? Would you seek Grace out? Why or why not? Would you keep or destroy the CD after finding Grace? How do your imagined decisions relate to your personal moral code?