Saving Noah

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of child sexual abuse, death by suicide, mental illness, and sexual violence.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The title, Saving Noah, takes on multiple meanings throughout the novel. Did you interpret it as Adrianne trying to save Noah from the justice system, from himself, or from his pedophilia? How did your understanding of the title shift by the end of the story?

2. Berry addresses extremely difficult subject matter in this novel about a teenage sex offender with pedophilia. If you’ve read Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin, which also deals with a parent grappling with their child’s harmful behavior, did you find any similarities between the two? How do you think these two works differ in their treatment of parental responsibility?

3. Many readers find Adrianne’s final decision to help Noah die controversial. What emotions did you experience during the final scenes of Noah’s death?

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

1. Adrianne consistently maintains her mantra of loving her children “no matter what” (76). Think about the limits of unconditional love in your own life. Have you ever been in a situation where your love or loyalty was severely tested?

2. The social ostracism that follows Noah’s offense affects the entire Coates family. When have you witnessed or experienced being an outcast in your community? How did this shape your reaction to Adrianne’s isolation?

3. Adrianne faces numerous impossible choices regarding her son throughout the story. Reflect on a moment when you had to make a difficult decision with no clear right answer. What guided your ultimate choice?

4. Berry presents pedophilia as a mental health condition rather than simply a moral failure. How did this perspective challenge or reinforce your existing views? Did it cause you to reconsider how society approaches this difficult subject?

5. Consider a time when you had to decide whether to give someone a second chance after they’d made a serious mistake. What factors influenced your decision?

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

1. What consequences might placing juveniles on sex offender registries have on their rehabilitation? How does the novel illuminate the failures of the justice system in distinguishing between different types of offenders?

2. The novel suggests that society’s black-and-white view of pedophilia prevents meaningful discussion about treatment and prevention. Do you believe it’s possible to balance protecting children with providing appropriate support for people who experience these urges but actively choose not to act on them?

3. Adrianne’s faith is tested throughout the novel, particularly when her church community abandons her family. How does religion influence how society addresses issues of forgiveness, redemption, and moral complexity? What role might faith communities play in supporting families in crisis?

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

1. Berry uses dual timelines to gradually reveal Lucas’s secret past. What effect did this narrative structure have on your reading experience? How would the story have been different if Lucas’s history had been revealed at the beginning?

2. Water functions as a recurring motif throughout the novel, from Noah’s swimming prowess to the family’s final day at Navy Pier. What significance does water hold in relation to Noah’s character arc and the novel’s themes of cleansing, rebirth, and drowning?

3. The perspective shifts between Adrianne’s present-day viewpoint and Lucas’s past experiences create a complex narrative. In what ways does this structure build tension and suspense?

4. The characters in the novel repeatedly face impossible moral choices. Which character’s decisions did you find most difficult to understand or accept? Why?

5. Though Noah confesses to molesting two young girls, the novel portrays him sympathetically. What narrative techniques does Berry employ to generate compassion for such a controversial character?

6. Lucas and Noah function as doubles or mirror images of each other. How does this father-son parallel illuminate the novel’s themes of intergenerational trauma and secrets?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you’re designing a rehabilitation program for juvenile sex offenders with pedophilia. What elements would you include to balance their needs with public safety concerns?

2. If you were to write a letter from Katie to Noah five years after his death, what would she say? How might her understanding of her brother and the family’s tragedy evolve as she enters adolescence?

3. Adrianne is convinced she’ll see Noah again in heaven. Create an imagined scene of their reunion that considers the complex moral questions the novel raises about forgiveness, redemption, and the afterlife.

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