Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was a part of the book that most stood out to you? What made this part most memorable or engaging?

2. Who was your favorite character in the book? Describe why you liked this character.

3. Compare The Bookbinder to The Dictionary of Lost Words, Williams’s debut novel, and discuss the connections of theme, setting, and/or character. (Note that Esme Nicoll, Mr. Owen’s sweetheart in this book, is the protagonist of The Dictionary of Lost Words.)

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

1. Have you ever had an experience, like Peggy’s dream of Somerville, of longing for something you weren’t sure you would be allowed to have? What became of your goal or dream?

2. Is there anything about Peggy’s experience as a caretaker that resonates with something you have personally experienced or witnessed? Have you ever felt responsible for someone else, either directly or indirectly?

3. Peggy struggles for most of the novel with separating herself and her sense of self from Maude. Have you ever felt torn between your family/personal connections and your own goals? How did you resolve this dilemma?

4. The women in the novel face systematic gendered barriers in the novel, such as at the Press and in the University. Have you ever faced barriers of gender and/or class in your own life? How did you respond to them?

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

1. What about the novel’s depiction of war, the physical and emotional consequences of war, and the lasting impacts of war do you find relevant or similar to our current historical moment?

2. Do you think the rigid boundaries of socioeconomic class that Peggy encounters are still true in our world? Where do you see these class divisions most prominently at work? Where would you argue they have lessened or disappeared?

3. The novel captures an important turning point for women, in which they gained greater access to the workforce, education, and the right to vote after decades of feminist activism. What challenges surrounding equality do women currently face? How do these challenges compare to historical struggles?

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

1. Examine how the identical twinship between Peggy and Maude. How does the novel examine issues of identity and selfhood through their dynamic?

2. Discuss the role of other female characters who are foils, mentors, guides, or allies for Peggy. What does each one contribute to her journey?

3. Consider the motif of grief and loss in the novel. How does the text explore different kinds of loss? How do characters respond to grief in different ways?

4. Analyze the depiction of women’s work or women’s sacrifices in the novel. How does the novel draw attention to the nature of women’s labor, especially in wartime? How does this contribute to the novel’s exploration of gender more generally?

5. Discuss what the setting of Oxford University adds to the novel. How is it described? How does Peggy’s relationship with it change over the course of the narrative?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Write out one or more of the responses you imagine Peggy giving on her Somerville entrance exam. You might use the questions given in the book, or make up one of your own.

2. Write a bonus scene or Epilogue (or one-act play) that follows one of the characters in their next steps. For instance, you might portray Bastiaan as an architect in Belgium, Gwen leading a debate to expand suffrage for women, Tilda returning to acting, or Maude’s future.

3. With your book group, collectively develop a list of books that the new university library of Louvain should put on the shelves. What would you choose, and why?

4. Imagine a time-travel scenario in which Peggy is somehow transported to your own world. How would she react, given her beliefs and personality?