Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What was your experience reading Book 1 and Book 2 of the novel? What did you think of how the two books connected?

2. What was your favorite scene or moment in the book?

3. Compare this book to other novels that deal with the impacts of trauma on women, for instance Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner or The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. How was reading Wayward Girls different or similar to your experience reading other books with these themes?

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

1. Which of the women in the book did you most connect with, and why?

2. Have you or someone you know had the experience of trying to locate birth parents after adoption? In what ways did Angela and Everly’s experience feel realistic or meaningful to you?

3. The girls in the book are deemed “wayward” for not conforming to societal expectations. Have you ever struggled to live up to ideas or expectations of you? How did your experience compare to theirs?

4. In Book 2, the women reflect on how their past experiences have continued to shape them even in their present lives. Which experiences from your own past, good or bad, have had the most impact on shaping who you are today?

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

1. Discuss what you found realistic or powerful about the backdrop of the 1960s, including “hippie” culture and the conflict of the Vietnam War. What does the novel contribute to our understanding of the 1960s? How does the novel comment on, or reflect, ongoing tensions between traditional and countercultural values?

2. Discuss the attitudes of the Catholic Church and their impact on the women in the novel. What attitudes still have relevance or impact today?

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

1. Consider the narrative style and the different points of view in the book. How does this narrative structure impact the story in terms of its characterization, plot, and/or the illumination of key themes? 

2. How is the setting of Niagara Falls described? What is its wider significance in the book?

3. Explore how the book considers the ideals and expectations surrounding femininity. How do these conceptions of femininity impact the lives and self-image of the characters? In what ways do they conform to, or subvert, gendered expectations? 

4. Analyze the novel’s exploration of motherhood. How does it examine the connection between mothers and daughters? What does it suggest about the experience and costs of motherhood?

5. Discuss the novel’s theme about the legacy of trauma. How do different characters experience trauma? How are they different or similar in their responses to it?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Add the playlist in the book, and describe the connection the songs you select have with different characters or events.

2. Consider a character not featured prominently in Book 2, such as Kay, Denise, Liam, Sister Gerard (the Mother Superior), or Kevin Doyle. How would the story change if their perspective and experience became central in Book 2? Reimagine a key moment from their point of view. 

3. Imagine what happened to Deirde’s son, who was adopted by the couple in Buffalo, New York. What do you think his life was like? What sort of person did he become? Share your ideas.