Memory Man

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death, graphic violence, and gender discrimination.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What strikes you most about Decker’s condition of never being able to forget anything? Does his hyperthymesia remind you of other characters with extraordinary memory abilities you’ve encountered in literature or film, such as those in Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon?

2. How effectively does Baldacci balance the mystery elements with Decker’s personal trauma throughout the novel?

3. Despite having perfect recall, Decker often misinterprets what he’s seeing or fails to connect important dots until much later in the story. How does this apparent contradiction between his abilities and his limitations affect your trust in him as the protagonist guiding you through the investigation?

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

1. Decker describes his perfect memory as more of a curse than a blessing, as he is unable to forget painful experiences. What memories from your own life would you choose to forget if you could, and what important memories would you never want to lose?

2. After losing his family, Decker becomes completely isolated and struggles to connect with other people. Have you experienced periods in your life where you felt disconnected from those around you, and what helped you rebuild those human connections?

3. The novel explores how traumatic events can fundamentally change who we are, as seen with both Decker and Wyatt. Think about a significant change in your own life—how did it reshape your identity or your understanding of yourself?

4. Decker initially refuses help from his former colleagues and tries to handle everything alone. When do you find it most difficult to accept help from others, and what makes you more willing to let people support you?

5. Wyatt’s rage stems from feeling that no one believed her or sought justice for the crimes committed against her. Have you ever struggled with feeling disbelieved? How did you stand up for your own truth? 

6. What aspects of Decker’s synesthesia, where he associates people and concepts with specific colors and numbers, resonate with how you organize or categorize your own thoughts and experiences?

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

1. Wyatt’s story involves being attacked because of her intersex identity and then being failed by both her family and the justice system. How does the novel illuminate ongoing challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in seeking both acceptance and legal protection?

2. The corruption that allowed Wyatt’s attackers to escape justice involves police officers, coaches, and other authority figures who were supposed to protect young people. What does this suggest about how institutions can fail victims and enable perpetrators?

3. Leopold preys on victims through his “Justice Denied” website, exploiting people who feel the legal system has failed them. How does this reflect real-world concerns about online manipulation and the vulnerability of people seeking justice outside traditional systems?

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

1. Baldacci uses Decker’s “inner DVR” as a central metaphor for memory throughout the novel. How does this technological comparison enhance your understanding of how Decker processes trauma and information, and where does the metaphor break down?

2. How does the recurring motif of the color blue evolve throughout the story? The color is at first associated specifically with Decker’s family’s murder scene, but it eventually seems to saturate entire environments when he’s experiencing emotional stress. How does this device convey emotion and character development? 

3. The connection between the school shooting and Decker’s family murder initially seems coincidental but proves to be deeply personal. What does this structure suggest about how past traumas can resurface in unexpected ways?

4. Wyatt’s ability to change identities—from female to male, from victim to victimizer, from invisible teenager to confident adult—serves as a foil to Decker’s more fixed identity struggles. How do their different relationships with identity transformation drive the conflict between them?

5. Decker frequently mentions that facts are useless without proper context to give them meaning. How does this theme play out in his investigation, and what does it suggest about the reliability of memory and perception?

6. What role does the abandoned army base and its hidden bomb shelter play in the novel beyond simply providing a hiding place for the shooter? How does this Cold War-era infrastructure connect to the themes of hidden threats and buried secrets?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Design a memory organization system that might help someone like Decker better manage traumatic memories while still maintaining access to important investigative details. What techniques or technologies would you incorporate to give him more control over when and how he experiences painful recollections?

2. Imagine you’re creating a support group for manufactured savants like Decker and Wyatt. What specific challenges would you address in your program, and how would you help people with extraordinary abilities maintain connections to their humanity and to other people?

3. Rewrite the climactic confrontation between Decker, Wyatt, and Leopold from Wyatt’s perspective. How might her internal monologue reveal different motivations or emotions than what Decker observed, and what final thoughts might she have about her quest for revenge?