When We Believed in Mermaids: A Novel

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of substance use, addiction, sexual violence, child sexual abuse, and death.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you think about O’Neal’s choice to structure the novel by alternating Kit and Mari’s perspectives? Did this approach help or hinder your understanding of their shared history and different interpretations of childhood events?

2. The novel’s title refers to childhood imagination and innocence. Did it remind you of other works you’ve read exploring similar themes, such as Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, where magical thinking helps characters cope with difficult circumstances?

3. How did you feel about the way the novel differentiated between childhood and adult understanding? Did it resonate with how you remember, and have recontextualized, events from your own childhood?

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

1. Which sister’s coping mechanism resonated more with you—Mari’s escape through creating a new identity or Kit’s emotional walls?

2. The sisters share matching mermaid scale tattoos with the words “Big Sister” and “Little Sister.” What physical symbols have you used to represent important relationships in your life?

3. Dylan tried to help Josie by teaching her to use substances to cope with trauma. When have you witnessed well-intentioned help that ultimately caused more harm?

4. In what ways have your experiences with trust and betrayal, or those of someone you know, paralleled those of Kit or Mari?

5. Both Kit and Mari struggle with commitment in different ways. What factors influence your ability to commit to relationships or significant life decisions?

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

1. What purpose does the Loma Prieta earthquake serve in the narrative? How does the novel use this natural disaster to create symbolic resonances beyond its historical significance?

2. The novel addresses sexual assault through the character of Billy Zondervan. What observations can you make about how society’s response to childhood sexual abuse has evolved since the 1980s setting of the flashbacks?

3. Both Kit and Mari’s mother eventually recover from addiction. What does the novel suggest about addiction recovery and second chances?

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

1. Several characters are scared to form close emotional bonds. What techniques does O’Neal employ to develop this part of the characters’ personalities and experiences?

2. What does surfing represent in the novel? What transformation does this symbol undergo by the story’s conclusion?

3. Why do you think O’Neal included the subplot of Veronica Parker’s murder?

4. Food appears frequently in the novel. What emotional states or relationships does O’Neal illustrate through culinary references?

5. Dylan serves as a catalyst for change in both sisters’ lives while remaining a static character himself. How does his role compare with other literary figures who function similarly, such as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby?

6. The physical settings in the novel often mirror the characters’ emotional states. Where did you find this literary technique most effective? What significance did places like Sapphire House hold in the narrative?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you designed a third mermaid scale tattoo for Dylan to match Kit and Mari’s, what words would you choose?

2. Imagine Mari’s children discovering the full truth about their mother’s past. Write a brief scene depicting this conversation.

3. What might an epilogue set five years after the novel’s conclusion reveal about the sisters’ lives?

Need more inspiration for your next meeting? Browse all of our Book Club Resources