The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The story kicks off with Cecily’s fall and the family’s decision to use a DNA test for a school project. How did this modern, scientific starting point shape your expectations for a story so deeply rooted in the past?

2. How did the novel’s central mystery, powered by a DNA test, resonate with you? If you’ve read other books that use genetic testing to uncover family secrets, like Dani Shapiro’s Inheritance, how did this story’s approach feel similar or different?

3. What was your emotional reaction to the final family reunion in Chicago? Did you find the resolution, which brings together all the branches of Cecily and Lucky’s family, to be a satisfying conclusion to their story?

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

1. Cecily finds connection and support in several “chosen families,” from her friends at the orphanage to the brief sanctuary offered by Grace. Think about a time when friends or a community provided you with a powerful sense of belonging. What do you think makes these non-biological bonds so essential?

2. What are your thoughts on the choices made by Cecily and Sam to hide Liz’s origins from her? Could you understand their motivation to protect her from pain, even though it involved a lifelong deception?

3. The 15-layer cakes become Cecily’s way of secretly honoring Lucky while also nurturing her new community. Do you have any family recipes or traditions that carry a hidden story or connect you to a person or a time from the past?

4. Liz experiences an identity crisis upon learning she was adopted. Without needing to share personal details, have you ever learned something about your own family’s history that changed the way you saw yourself or your place in the world?

5. Lucky’s note contains the question of how a person recognizes the feeling of finally belonging somewhere. Based on your experiences, how would you answer Lucky’s question?

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

1. The novel grounds Cecily’s forced sterilization in the real history of the American eugenics movement. How did learning about institutions like Samarcand Manor and state-sponsored eugenics boards affect your reading of Cecily’s personal trauma?

2. The McNaughton Children’s Home is based on real-life black-market adoption rings that exploited unmarried mothers. What does the book suggest about the societal pressures and lack of options that made women in Cecily’s position so vulnerable during that era? How would things be different for her today?

3. The circus is depicted as a world with its own rigid social hierarchy, particularly concerning race and the division between performers and laborers. In what ways does this setting serve as a microcosm of the racial and social injustices of the 1930s United States? How does it compare to the United States now?

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

1. What is the significance of Liz’s pottery? What does it symbolize?

2. Isabelle DuMonde is both a protective sister figure and a cruel betrayer. What does her character suggest about chosen families and survival?

3. The narrative alternates between the historical past and the present day. How does this dual timeline impact tone and mood?

4. Trains factor significantly into Cecily’s experience. Examine when she rides the train (not just in the circus). What might this mode of transportation represent?

5. The novel is told in the third-person point-of-view. How would the narrative be impacted if it were told from Cecily’s perspective?

6. This story traces the impact of secrets and loss across several generations. How does its exploration of inherited trauma and resilience compare to other multi-generational family sagas you may have read, such as Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, or Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Although he died relatively young, Lucky lived a full life. Imagine writing a short story from his perspective in the years after he left Cecily. What reflections would he share about his time in the circus?

2. If you were to create a “book club soundtrack” for The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson, what songs would you choose to represent key characters or moments? For instance, what song might capture Cecily and Lucky’s love, Liz’s identity crisis, or the bittersweet reunion at the end?

3. The photograph of Lucky is one of the first clues to Cecily’s hidden life. If you had to create a museum exhibit based on the novel, which five objects would you choose to display to tell the entire family’s story? Why would you choose these items?