Last Twilight in Paris

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What would be lost if Jenoff chose to portray either Helaine’s or Louise’s wartime and postwar experiences? How are the novel’s meanings and emotional impact compounded by the combination of stories?

2. Did you find one woman’s story to be more impactful than the other? If so, whose story, and why? Did you relate to one more than the other?

3. How does this novel compare to other historical fiction you may have read about World War II? What, if anything, makes it different from them? What does it share?

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

1. During the war, characters frequently deal with the moral complexity of choosing to resist or comply with their oppressors. Have you ever experienced a similar kind of moral complexity where you felt compelled to do something undesirable in service of a desirable outcome? Describe the circumstances and the reason(s) you chose to act as you did.

2. What kind of relationship do you have with the past version(s) of yourself? Do you feel at peace with how you have changed or do you long for some aspect of your past self that you feel has been lost? Can you think of any ways in which to reconcile these version(s) of yourself now?

3. Have you ever had a traumatic experience or loss from which you still feel the effects? Reflect on that experience and the way it impacts your life.

4. Compare the sympathy Jenoff encourages readers to feel for Helaine and Louise, especially regarding the complex morality of resistance, with the possibility that one might also sympathize with French collaborators. Do you sympathize with characters like Maxim and/or the Parisian chief of police? Why or why not?

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

1. How necessary is the novel’s historical setting to its themes? Is there any other historical era in which the novel’s themes could be maintained or adapted?

2. What do works of historical fiction offer to readers that works of non-fiction about the same historical era do not? What are the benefits and limitations of historical novels that deal with sensitive themes, such as war and the Holocaust?

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

1. Read Jenoff’s novel, The Lost Girls of Paris, or review the SuperSummary guide for this work. Is it structured similarly to Last Twilight in Paris? How does it differ? Are you interested in reading The Lost Girls of Paris now that you’ve finished Last Twilight in Paris? Why or why not?

2. Trace references to Helaine’s journal throughout the novel. How does it acquire meanings aside from its literal purpose? To what theme(s) does it point? Are there any symbols that function similarly in Louise’s experience?

3. What messages does the novel convey about healing and others’ role in one’s own ability to heal? Consider the way Louise and Helaine help each other, how Gabriel helps Helaine to heal, and how Joe and Louise assist one another. Is it easier to heal when one has support? Does support actually make healing possible?

4. Both Helaine and Louise are dynamic, changing in significant ways due to their experiences in the novel, but neither Gabriel nor Joe does. Why do you think this is? How might the women’s dynamism be connected to their sex in this particular setting?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Who would you cast in a film adaptation of this book? Explain your choices.

2. Would you rather see a sequel to this text that focuses on Louise’s future as a private detective, finding the loved ones people lost in the war, or Helaine’s future as a writer? What conflict(s) do you imagine each woman would face? More social conflicts, or something else?

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