The Orphan's Tale

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you find most emotionally compelling about the novel?

2. Pam Jenoff has written other historical novels set during World War II, like The Kommandant’s Girl. For those who have read her other works, how does The Orphan’s Tale compare in its tone and storytelling? If this was your first Jenoff novel, what was your impression of her approach to this historical period?

3. Which character’s journey, Noa’s or Astrid’s, resonated more with you? Why?

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

1. The novel powerfully explores the idea of a “found family.” Have you ever experienced a bond with people who weren’t your biological relatives that felt like family? What do you think makes these chosen relationships so meaningful, especially during difficult times?

2. What did you think of Noa’s impulsive decision to rescue Theo from the boxcar? Can you think of a time when an instinctive, emotional decision proved to be more powerful or right than a carefully considered one?

3. Astrid is told, “We cannot change who we are. Sooner or later we will all have to face ourselves” (159). Do you agree with this statement? Consider a time when you have altered your perspective on your own sense of self or identity.

4. Throughout the story, trust is a life-or-death matter, symbolized by the flying trapeze. What does it take for you to place your complete trust in someone? How did Noa and Astrid’s journey to trusting each other reflect your own ideas about how trust is built?

5. Herr Neuhoff takes immense personal risks for others, even when it goes against the prevailing powers. Have you ever witnessed someone doing this, or even done it yourself? What was the result?

6. Promises carry enormous weight in the novel, especially the one Noa makes to Astrid to stay away from Luc. Have you ever been in a situation where a promise made to one person conflicted with your own desires or another relationship? What makes such a choice so difficult?

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

1. The story is grounded in real historical events, including the Nazi Lebensborn program and the existence of circuses that sheltered Jews. Did learning about these specific histories change your perspective on World War II? How does fiction like this help us understand the more personal, human-scale stories behind major historical events?

2. What role does art and performance play as a form of resistance in the novel? Think about Peter’s satirical clown routines or even the simple spectacle of the circus itself. How can creative expression be a tool for defiance in oppressive societies?

3. What does the story suggest about the complex and often morally ambiguous choices people must make to survive under an oppressive regime, as seen in characters like Herr Neuhoff or Luc’s collaborationist father?

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

1. The story is told from the alternating first-person perspectives of Noa and Astrid. How did this dual-narrative structure affect your reading? What insights did it provide into their relationship that a single perspective might have missed?

2. How does the circus setting function as more than just a backdrop in the novel? How does this change as the narrative progresses?

3. How does the novel use animals, literally and figuratively, to explore ideas of freedom, captivity, safety, and danger?

4. The theme of identity is central to the story. Both Astrid and Noa must adopt new personas to survive but they also change as the narrative develops. Do they become more or less like their adopted personas, and what does this development say about their characters?

5. How does The Orphan’s Tale engage with the genre of World War II historical fiction, especially when compared to other popular novels like Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale? What unique perspective does its circus setting offer on themes of resistance and survival?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The Epilogue reveals that Astrid never miscarried Peter’s baby, who is revealed as her adult daughter, Petra. Astrid then tells her children the full story of Noa. If you were to write a scene set years later, what would a conversation between the adult Theo and Petra sound like? What questions might they still have about their family’s past?

2. Imagine you are curating the museum exhibit that Astrid visits in the Prologue and the Epilogue. Besides Luc’s portrait of Noa, what one other object from the story would you choose to display to represent the journey of the Circus Neuhoff? Why that particular item?

3. If you could give one piece of advice to either Noa or Astrid at a key turning point in the novel, what would it be and why?