What She Left Behind: A Haunting and Heartbreaking Story of 1920s Historical Fiction

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did you feel about Wiseman’s choice to interweave narratives from the 1920s and 1990s? Have you encountered novels with a similar structure before—for example, Heather Marshall’s Looking for Jane?

2. If you’ve read this book’s nonfiction inspiration, The Lives They Left Behind, how would you compare it to the novel? What works of fiction does the novel remind you of?

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

1. Do you identify more with Izzy, Clara, or another character? What makes you feel aligned with that character?

2. Consider the novel’s depiction of mother-daughter relationships. What do you think makes these bonds so often powerful?

3. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to defend your anger as justified or rational? How did that make you feel?

4. Do you find the women’s resilience inspiring, or at least convincing? Where do you find strength in difficult times?

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

1. How do the psychiatric practices and theories depicted in the novel compare to contemporary psychiatric practices and theories? What can we learn by looking at the history of residential mental health care?

2. How would you compare the patriarchal norms of the 1920s US with the patriarchal norms of contemporary societies? How are women who declare their autonomy from men, or de-center men, treated now?

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

1. The novel frequently uses imagery of imprisonment, but it also includes a literal prison. What similarities and differences exist between the prison where Joyce is incarcerated and the various figurative prisons the novel depicts?

2. Why is Izzy drawn to Clara’s story? How does her interest evolve over the course of the novel, and how does this evolution reflect her own character growth?

3. What literal or figurative role does water play in Izzy’s storyline? How does this compare to its function in Clara’s?

4. How do characters such as Joyce, Peg, Ruth, Clara, and Shannon’s mother represent different models of motherhood? What ideas about motherhood does Wiseman engage with?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Wiseman provides a few songs that Clara dances to at the Cotton Club. What else would you put on a playlist for her and Bruno?

2. If the novel were being adapted into a movie, whom would you cast as Clara and Izzy?

3. Suppose you were putting together a museum display based on the discoveries at Willard. What objects would you feature, and how would you contextualize them for visitors?