We Are the Brennans

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death, graphic violence and substance use

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The Brennan family’s loyalty to each other drives much of the story, often leading them to make questionable decisions to protect one another. What aspects of this fierce family loyalty did you find most compelling or most troubling? How might the story have unfolded differently if the Brennans weren’t so intensely devoted to each other?

2. Secrets and lies permeate We Are the Brennans, much like in Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies or Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You. How do you think these novels differ in their exploration of how secrets impact families? Which approach resonated more with you?

3. What did you think of Lange’s decision to tell the story through multiple perspectives? Which character’s point of view provided the most insight into the family dynamics?

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

1. Sunday returns home after five years away because of a drunk driving accident. Have you ever experienced a moment that forced you to confront a part of your life you’d been avoiding?

2. The kitchen table serves as the emotional center of the Brennan household, where crucial conversations unfold. What space in your home functions as the gathering place for important discussions? How has that space witnessed your family’s evolution over time?

3. Many characters in the novel struggle with whether to reveal painful truths or keep secrets to protect others. When have you faced a similar dilemma in your own life?

4. Kale must ultimately choose between his marriage to Vivienne and his connection to the Brennans, a family that embraced him since childhood. How have you navigated competing loyalties between different relationships in your life? What factors helped you decide where your true allegiance belonged?

5. Maura Brennan’s strict Irish Catholic upbringing influences how she raises her children and responds to family crises. In what ways has your family’s cultural or religious background shaped how you handle difficult situations or family secrets?

6. The novel explores how trauma can lead to isolation, as we see with Sunday after her attack. Have you ever witnessed how trauma affected someone’s ability to maintain their relationships? What helped them reconnect with others?

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

1. The novel depicts Irish American families and their traditions in a New York suburb. How does it comment on the tension between communal tradition and individual autonomy? 

2. Traditional gender roles appear throughout the novel, with Sunday taking on many domestic responsibilities even before her mother’s death. In what ways does the novel challenge or reinforce traditional gender expectations in Irish American families? How might these roles have evolved if the story were set in today’s world?

3. The stigma around unwed pregnancy, divorce, and other “scandals” continues to influence the Brennans’ decisions despite the modern setting. What societal pressures do you see still affecting families today in similar ways?

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

1. The kitchen table serves as a motif throughout the novel, described as “the center of their universe for many years.” Why do you think Lange chose this particular symbol to represent the heart of the Brennan family?

2. What function do Mickey’s memory problems serve in the narrative? How does his struggle with memory reflect broader themes about family history and secrets?

3. How does Lange use the character of Vivienne to provide an outside perspective on the Brennans? What does her criticism of the family reveal about both her character and the Brennans themselves?

4. The Magens Bay postcard symbolizes the future Sunday and Kale once hoped for. What other objects in the novel take on symbolic significance?

5. Forgiveness emerges as a central theme in the novel, with Jackie noting that he was “tired of blaming people, including himself.” Which characters struggle most with forgiving others or themselves?

6. Lange employs multiple narrators to tell the Brennans’ story. This technique offers glimpses into each character’s motivations and inner struggles. Does this narrative choice create sympathy for characters who might otherwise be unsympathetic?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were to write an additional chapter set five years after the novel ends, what do you imagine would have changed for the Brennan family?

2. The ending suggests that the Brennans will protect Mickey after learning he killed Billy Walsh. Create a scenario that explores how this secret might affect the family in the years to come. How might this secret impact their relationships with each other and with the community of West Manor?

3. Sunday is described as a writer working on stories about her family. Imagine one of her short stories based on a character from the novel. What perspective would she take? What insights might she reveal through fiction that she couldn’t express directly?

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