The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson

What does Isabelle’s betrayal suggest about chosen families and survival?

How does the narrative’s use of dramatic irony, created by the dual timeline, impact tone and mood?

Beyond Cecily’s scar and her 15-layer cakes, how do characters use physical objects and rituals to cope with pain and grief?

Consider the characters of Sam, Lucky, and Evan. What does the novel suggest about masculine love?

How do the institutional settings of the orphanage, reformatory, and sanatorium shape Cecily’s evolving understanding of personal freedom and society?

Books are an important part of Cecily’s life and a point of connection with both Lucky and Sam. What do books symbolize?

To what extent are the choices of the novel’s female characters products of their trauma versus their own independent agency?

Many of Baker’s characters endure intense grief. Consider at least three of them and determine what the novel suggests about the grieving process.