Necessary Lies

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of pregnancy termination.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What aspects of Chamberlain’s portrayal of the eugenics movement in North Carolina were most surprising or impactful to you?

2. Did you find yourself more drawn to Jane’s or Ivy’s perspective as their dual narratives unfolded throughout the novel?

3. Necessary Lies and Chamberlain’s novel The Last House on the Street both explore difficult chapters of Southern history that many readers may not know about. If you’ve read both works, which approach did you find more effective in bringing these historical injustices to light?

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

1. Have you ever faced a situation where your personal ethics conflicted with what was expected of you professionally?

2. Jane risks her marriage and career to help Ivy maintain her reproductive rights. When have you taken a significant risk to stand up for what you believed was morally right?

3. In what ways have you observed social class impacting people’s opportunities and choices in your own community?

4. The title Necessary Lies suggests that sometimes deception might be justified for a greater good. Do you believe lying can ever be truly necessary or ethical?

5. Which character’s journey in the novel resonated most strongly with your own life experiences or values?

6. Jane’s mother provides crucial support when Jane harbors Ivy, showing unexpected solidarity. Who has surprised you with their support during challenging situations in your own life?

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

1. What parallels do you see between the historical eugenics program depicted in the novel and contemporary debates about reproductive rights and bodily autonomy?

2. The novel portrays how gender expectations in the 1960s constrained women’s choices across different social classes. Which contemporary gender expectations continue to limit individuals today?

3. Examine the effectiveness of the novel in addressing the intersection of race, poverty, and reproductive rights through characters like Lita Jordan and her family.

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

1. What meaning does the novel’s setting of California have in the novel? How does this location reflect the novel’s themes or ideas?

2. The parallel experiences of loss shape both Jane and Ivy in profound ways. What role does grief play in the development of their unlikely bond?

3. Does the novel have a message about truth, lies, and ethical boundaries through its various deceptions and secrets? If so, what is that message? If not, why not?

4. The carving “Ivy and Mary was here” (3) serves as both the opening and a significant closing element of the story. What does this act of marking represent? Why does the novel use it as a bookend?

5. In what ways does Davison Gardiner’s character complicate the narrative’s exploration of power, class, and exploitation?

6. Chamberlain creates a stark contrast between Jane’s privileged world and the harsh realities of Grace County. What purpose does this contrast serve in developing the novel’s themes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were to write an epilogue set five years after the novel’s conclusion, what future would you envision for the central characters?

2. Imagine this story were set in the present day rather than the 1960s. Which elements would change most significantly?

3. Imagine you served on the committee determining reparations for victims of forced sterilization. Present your arguments as you advocate for appropriate compensation.

Need more inspiration for your next meeting? Browse all of our Book Club Resources