Phantom Limb

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The final revelation that the narrator is Emily, not Elizabeth, reframes the entire story. How did this twist affect your reading experience, and were there any clues you noticed along the way?

2. How does Emily’s unreliability, which stems from a dissociative fugue, compare to that of narrators whose memory is impaired for other reasons, like in S.J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep?

3. What was your overall emotional reaction to the book’s intense subject matter, especially the return of Emily’s self-harm in the Epilogue?

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

1. The twins’ bond is so powerful that their individual identities seem to merge. Have you ever been in a relationship, whether with a family member or a friend, where the lines of identity felt similarly blurred?

2. In what ways does the novel explore storytelling as a survival mechanism for processing grief and trauma? Have you or someone you know ever used storytelling in this way?

3. What do the characters of Bob and Dalila suggest about the benefits and limitations of a safe environment when it comes to healing from severe early childhood trauma? Who has provided this kind of safety for you? How did it impact your life?

4. In the psychiatric ward, the narrator finds a powerful connection with Rose. Have you ever had a friendship that felt like a source of safety in an otherwise hostile environment?

5. The “intrusion” of Thomas is the catalyst that disrupts the codependent relationship between “Elizabeth” and “Emily.” Have you ever had a close friendship or sibling bond that was threatened by the introduction of a romantic partner?

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

1. Author Lucinda Berry is a clinical psychologist specializing in childhood trauma. How did knowing about her professional background influence your reading of the novel’s depiction of mental illness?

2. In what ways does Phantom Limb challenge or reinforce common societal perceptions and stereotypes about severe mental health conditions like dissociative disorders?

3. What does the book’s portrayal of the psychiatric ward—its staff, rules, and patient community—suggest about the realities of mental health facilities? Does the book challenge or reinforce stereotypes of this kind of facility as seen in books like Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

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

1. How does the central metaphor of the “phantom limb” guide your reading of the text? How does the meaning of this metaphor develop over the course of the book?

2. The motif of cutting and scars serves as a physical record of the narrator’s emotional pain. How does this motif transform the body into a site of memory and punishment?

3. Berry uses the first-person perspective to fully immerse readers in the narrator’s delusions. Looking back, what subtle clues or inconsistencies in her voice or memories now stand out to you?

4. The narrator’s moment of critical discovery is prompted by observing her friend Rose. What significance does this scene in the mirror hold, and why must she first recognize delusion in someone else to see the truth about herself?

5. The novel’s twist relies on a narrator who is not who she claims to be, a device also seen in works like Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island. What makes Berry’s use of this trope particularly effective or different?

6. What is the impact of Emily’s return to self-harm in the Epilogue? What does this suggest about the possibility of full recovery from the kind of trauma Emily experienced?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Thomas is left believing he is in a relationship with Elizabeth. Imagine a scenario where he discovers the truth. How do you think he would react?

2. If you could add a chapter from the perspective of another character, such as Lisa or Rose, who would you choose, and what insights would their point of view provide?

3. What might a path toward genuine healing and integration look like for Emily, beyond the events of the Epilogue?