Truly Madly Guilty

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of child death and mental illness.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The barbecue serves as the central setting in Truly Madly Guilty, with the entire narrative revolving around what happened before, during, and after the event. Did you find this narrative structure effective for building suspense? What impact did the gradual reveal of information have on your reading experience?

2. What elements of the novel did you find most compelling or memorable?

3. Readers often compare Moriarty’s exploration of suburban Australian life and complex relationships in her novels. If you’ve read Big Little Lies or The Husband’s Secret, how does Truly Madly Guilty compare in its treatment of secrets, lies, and the consequences of momentary decisions?

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

1. Erika and Clementine’s friendship began as an obligation and evolved into a complicated bond marked by both resentment and dependency. Think about a friendship in your life that has evolved over time. What factors contributed to its endurance or dissolution?

2. Have you experienced tension between your professional ambitions and personal responsibilities, similar to Clementine’s struggle to balance her career as a cellist with motherhood?

3. The characters in the novel repeatedly choose whether to be honest with themselves and others about their feelings and desires. Reflect on a time when you chose honesty over comfort in a relationship. What were the consequences of that choice?

4. Each couple in the novel demonstrates different approaches to communication within their marriage. Which couple’s communication style most resembles your own approach in important relationships? What might you learn from the others?

5. Erika’s childhood experiences with her mother’s hoarding shaped her into a meticulously organized adult who craves control. In what ways have your early experiences influenced your current habits, preferences, or fears? Have you ever tried to break free from patterns established in your childhood?

6. The relentless rain following the barbecue symbolizes the characters’ tumultuous emotional states. When have you experienced external conditions that seemed to mirror your internal feelings? How did this synchronicity affect your ability to process what you were going through?

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

1. Tiffany’s past as an exotic dancer becomes a point of fascination and eventually judgment among the other characters. What does the novel suggest about society’s views on sex work and those who engage in it? Does this reflection mirror attitudes you’ve observed in your own community?

2. The novel portrays different styles of parenting and the judgments that accompany them. Vid and Clementine are labeled “feckless” parents, while Sam and Tiffany are vigilant. What societal pressures around parenting does Moriarty highlight? In what ways do these pressures affect parents today?

3. Climate change appears as a recurring motif throughout the novel. The cab driver’s denial of climate change despite the evidence mirrors the characters’ denial of their own problems. Where else do you see this parallel between environmental and personal denial in contemporary literature or media, such as Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior?

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

1. Moriarty begins the novel with an epigraph from Claude Debussy: “Music is the silence between the notes” (6).” What narrative techniques does she use to emphasize what remains unsaid between characters? When do silences in the novel speak louder than words?

2. The nonlinear timeline alternates between the day of the barbecue and its aftermath. What insights does this structure provide about the characters that a chronological telling might have missed? Why might Moriarty have chosen this particular narrative approach?

3. Guilt manifests differently for each character following Ruby’s accident. Compare how Sam, Clementine, Dakota, and Tiffany express and process their guilt. What do these different responses reveal about their characters?

4. The fountain is a central symbol in the novel, representing both luxury and danger. How does Vid’s destruction of it after the accident transform its symbolic meaning? What other symbols does Moriarty use to convey the themes of the novel?

5. Harry’s backstory reveals he lost his wife and child in a fairground accident years ago and never recovered. How does his tragic backstory function as both a parallel and a warning to the main characters? What does his attempt to save Ruby suggest about the possibility of redemption?

6. How does each couple in the novel navigate communication, compromise, and conflict differently in their marriages?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Dakota punishes herself for Ruby’s accident by destroying her beloved book. Create a conversation between Dakota and Holly five years later when they’re teenagers reflecting on the events of that day. What might they learn from each other?

2. The ending suggests potential growth and healing for most characters. Write an epilogue set two years after the novel ends that explores how one character’s life has changed. Consider how they might handle a similar crisis differently now.

3. Pam chooses to keep Holly’s role in Ruby’s accident a secret. Imagine you’re creating a stage adaptation of the novel and must decide whether to reveal this truth to all the characters in a final scene. Would you change this aspect of the story? How would your version end?

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