Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you think of the novel’s dual timeline structure, alternating between Liv’s present-day search and Yi-ping’s past experiences? How did this narrative choice affect your reading experience and your connection to the characters?

2. For those who have read Lyn Liao Butler’s other books, such as Red Thread of Fate, how does The Fourth Daughter compare in its exploration of family secrets and cultural identity? If this was your first time reading her work, what elements of her storytelling stood out to you the most?

3. Consider the story’s conclusion. Did the reunion between Yi-ping and Yili, and the way Liv’s personal journey was resolved, feel satisfying and earned to you? What emotions surfaced for you during the final family dinner scene?

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

1. Food and cooking are central to the novel. Think about a specific dish or food tradition in your own life that connects you to family or your heritage. How does that personal connection deepen your understanding of the role Yi-ping’s cookbook plays in the story?

2. Liv’s trip to Taiwan begins as a mission to help her grandmother but becomes a transformative journey for her own healing. Can you recall a time you embarked on a journey or took on a task for someone else that ended up changing you in an unexpected way?

3. Chef Wu encourages Liv to find her own culinary “voice” by connecting with her roots. In what area of your life, whether it’s a career, a hobby, or your personal values, have you had to find your own unique voice? What did that process of discovery look like for you?

4. The friendship between Yi-ping and Ziyi transcends their different backgrounds and the immense risks they face. What did their bond reveal about loyalty and resilience? Reflect on a friendship in your own life that has provided strength during a difficult time.

5. Several characters, including Ang-Li and Clare, keep life-altering secrets in an attempt to protect the people they love. When, if ever, do you think it is right to withhold the truth from someone for their own good? How did the novel challenge or affirm your views on this?

6. The novel explores the idea of home, which for Liv means a heritage she’s discovering and for Yi-ping means a past she fled. What does the concept of “home” mean to you, and how did the characters’ journeys influence your thoughts on it?

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

1. The Fourth Daughter is set against the backdrop of Taiwan’s White Terror period. What makes its message relevant today?

2. Ziyi’s story of domestic abuse highlights the lack of legal recourse for women in her time, forcing her to take matters into her own hands. Discuss how society has progressed in supporting survivors of domestic violence, and what challenges remain.

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

1. The recurring motif of secrets and silence operates on both a familial and a national level. In what ways does the author weave these two threads together, and how does the act of breaking the silence finally lead to healing?

2. Ang-Li’s journal is a critical narrative device introduced late in the book. What was the impact of learning the truth from his perspective? How did this shift in voice change your perceptions of characters like Jin, Clare, and even Wang Po-wei?

3. What is the significance of the titular “fourth daughter” as a symbol? How does Yili’s character evolve from an emblem of suppressed trauma into a representation of hope and reconciliation?

4. Compare the different narrative techniques used in Liv and Yi-ping’s chapters. How do they help to define each woman’s experience?

5. Discuss how the narrative explores different models of masculinity through Wang Po-wei, Ang-Li, Yili’s husband, and Simon. How do their representations develop the novel’s critique of patriarchal power structures?

6. Uncovering a hidden family history is a common premise in contemporary fiction, seen in books such as Kate Morton’s The Clockmaker’s Daughter (2018). How does The Fourth Daughter use this framework in a unique way?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. You have been asked to design a memorial tribute to Ang-Li. What form would it take, and what key moments or qualities from his journal would you choose to highlight to honor his story of quiet heroism and sacrifice?

2. Picture the cookbook that Liv and Ah-Ma create together. What title would you give it, what kind of imagery would you use for the cover, and what short description would you write for the back to capture its story of love, loss, and resilience?