The Couple Next Door

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

1. The novel explores the challenges of new parenthood and postpartum depression. How does Anne's struggle with motherhood reflect or challenge societal expectations about maternal instincts?

2. Throughout the story, the characters make morally questionable decisions based on financial pressure. Have you ever faced a situation in which financial stress tempted you to compromise your values?

3. Trust and betrayal are central themes in the novel. Reflect on a time when your trust was betrayed. How did this experience affect your subsequent relationships?

4. The story questions how well people truly know their neighbors and family members. Has this novel changed how you think about your own relationships?

5. Anne's dissociative disorder plays a crucial role in the story. How might mental health conditions like Anne’s affect people’s ability to trust their own perceptions?

Examine the book's relevance to broader societal issues, cultural trends, and ethical dilemmas.

1. How does the novel address and portray society's expectations of new mothers? What commentary does the narrative offer about postpartum depression and mental health support?

2. Consider how class and wealth influence the characters' actions. What does the novel suggest about the relationship between money and morality in contemporary society?

3. Through Cynthia's hidden cameras, the novel delivers a pointed commentary on the concept of surveillance. How does this issue reflect modern concerns about privacy and technology?

Dive into the book's structure, characters, themes, and use of narrative techniques.

1. Analyze the significance of mirrors as a symbol throughout the novel. How do the characters' interactions with mirrors reflect their relationship with truth?

2. How does the author's use of multiple perspectives contribute to the story's psychological complexity? What information does each viewpoint reveal or conceal?

3. Consider the symbolism of baby Cora. How does her character function as a mirror for the adults' moral failings?

4. How does the author use Marco's business failure as a catalyst for the plot? How does this factor contribute to the theme of greed?

5. Analyze the contrast between Cynthia’s photography and Anne's work with abstract art. How do these different artistic mediums symbolize the respective characters?