Consider the setting of the novel. How do we know it takes place in the US? Madeline Cash intentionally does not use real place names; why do you think this is? What would be different if the novel were set somewhere else?

Discuss the significance of the novel’s title. Why is Miss Winkle’s guidance program called “Lost Lambs”? How does the rest of the novel extend and/or complicate this meaning?

If you had to name the novel’s protagonist, which character most fits the bill? Explain your choice.

What commentary does Paul Alabaster’s human-trafficking ring offer on contemporary American society and events?

Both Catherine and Alabaster fear growing older. Compare the origin and expression of their fears; how do they intersect with the novel’s depiction of gender?

Discuss the significance of conspiratorial thinking in Lost Lambs. What does it say that the conspiracy theorists are proven right?

Consider minor characters like Tibet, Jim and Myles Doherty, and Miss Winkle. How do they contribute to the expression of the text’s themes?

How does the novel’s polyphonic structure contribute to the text? What is gained through the use of multiple perspectives?