Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did you feel about the novel’s blend of the psychological thriller and family saga genres? Did one aspect feel stronger to you than the other?

2. The novel fits into the psychological thriller genre, where a protagonist’s reality is destabilized. How did Riley’s journey of discovery compare to similar stories you’ve read, like Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl? What makes The Silent Sister unique in its approach to revealing long-buried secrets?

3. Which of the many shocking revelations in the book surprised you the most, and why did it have such an impact on your reading experience?

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

1. The characters in The Silent Sister ultimately have to redefine what family means to them. How did the novel’s portrayal of a chosen family, built on truth and forgiveness, resonate with your own ideas about kinship? Do you believe family is defined more by biology or by conscious connection?

2. Whose perspective did you sympathize with most: Riley, the investigator; Lisa, the survivor; or Danny, the collateral damage of his family’s secrets?

3. Frank MacPherson constructs an elaborate web of lies, believing he is protecting his family. When do you think it is justifiable to keep a secret from loved ones, and at what point does protection become a form of harm? What were your feelings about his motivations versus his actions?

4. What did you think about the extent of Lisa’s sacrifice in giving up her identity and passion? How do you balance personal identity with obligations to others in your own life?

5. Frank’s actions are a paradox, saving one child while damaging the others. Could his protective instincts be separated from the immense harm his secrets caused? Have you ever seen a comparable paradox play out?

6. The MacPherson family home is described as being filled with collections and unspoken history. Have you ever been in a space that felt heavy with the past? How can physical places hold onto the emotional weight of family secrets?

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

1. The inciting incident is Lisa’s teenage pregnancy in the late 1980s, a time of significant social stigma around teen pregnancy. What does the novel’s depiction of the MacPhersons’ extreme reaction suggest about the societal pressures of that era? In what ways do you think this story would be different if it were set today?

2. Danny’s trauma is explicitly linked not just to his time in Iraq but also to the psychological abuse he suffered as a child. What does his story suggest about how society supports, or fails to support, its veterans? How does the novel contribute to the larger conversation about trauma and invisible wounds?

3. In the end, Danny chooses family loyalty over legal justice by not turning Lisa in. What does this decision say about the conflict between personal morality and the rule of law? Do you believe Lisa should have been held legally accountable for Steven Davis’s death?

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

1. The novel frequently shifts between Riley’s investigation in 2013 and flashbacks to Lisa’s life after her disappearance. What effect did this dual timeline have on your reading experience, particularly in how it built suspense and dramatic irony?

2. Lisa’s violin and jade pendant represent aspects of both her character and her experiences. What objects in the story perform similar functions for other characters?

3. In what ways do Danny and Riley serve as foils for each other in their approach to uncovering the family’s past? What does their portrayal and dynamic reveal about the nature of trauma?

4. Several secondary characters, like the Kyles and Jeannie, act as unreliable narrators when sharing the story with Riley, offering a mix of truth, half-truths, and self-serving lies. How did their conflicting stories affect Riley’s journey and your own ability to piece together the mystery? What does this technique say about the elusive nature of truth?

5. What fabricated meanings does Lisa assign to the inscriptions on the jade pendant in order to hide its true meaning? What do these fabricated meanings inadvertently reveal about Lisa’s feelings?

6. If you’ve read other works by Diane Chamberlain, like Necessary Lies or Big Lies in a Small Town, how does The Silent Sister compare in its treatment of deception and family dynamics?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Much of the story is driven by the consequences of Frank MacPherson’s decisions, but we never hear directly from him. If you could write a letter from Frank to his children, to be opened after his death, what would he say? What secrets would he confess, and what justifications would he offer for his actions?

2. The Epilogue shows the family one year later, living with a new, protective public story. Draft another epilogue, sketching out their lives, work, and relationships 10 years in the future. What do you imagine their daily lives will look like?