The Locked Door

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

1. Have you ever discovered something about a family member that made you want to distance yourself from them? Without revealing what this detail is, discuss the rationale behind your decision. How might you have related to Nora’s decisions once she discovered the truth about her father?

2. Do you believe that people are defined by an essential nature or by the circumstances in which they grow up? How does the novel frame the question of personal agency in the context of the nature versus nurture debate?

3. How much do you try to separate your personal life from your work life? Is it impossible to stop these two aspects of your life from intersecting? Do you think it might ever be possible to keep them apart from one another?

4. Do you think it is possible to fully overcome or move past trauma? Cite people you know to support your answer and relate it to Nora’s journey. How does Nora deal with and move past her childhood trauma by the end of her narrative arc?

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

1. Much like the protagonist in Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer, Nora is characterized by her relationship to her father, a psychotic killer. What does this narrative trend suggest about serial killing or true crime as a phenomenon? How might readers use these stories to make sense of people who become serial killers?

2. Discuss the way the novel frames workplace gender dynamics into its plot. How might the novel be making subtle comparisons between the type of men who appear throughout the novel and the ways they prey on or exploit their female counterparts in the workplace?

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

1. Discuss the symbolism of the titular locked door. What could the locked door refer to in Nora’s life, apart from the one that hides her father’s darkest secrets?

2. How does McFadden develop Harper as a character? Does the narrative ever frame her as Nora’s opposite? Once you know Harper’s true identity, what are the character traits that retroactively hint at her role as the antagonist?

3. Discuss McFadden’s use of flashback as a narrative strategy. When does she decide to reveal Nora’s past? Look for moments that trigger those flashbacks and suggest how these authorial decisions underscore the novel’s themes about moving forward from the past.

4. Compare and contrast the characters of Brady and Aaron. How might their comparison inform your understanding of Nora’s attitude toward Brady throughout their relationship? Do you think Brady turns out to be a good romantic interest for Nora in the end?