Book Club

The book club page is a resource for book clubs, librarians, and English teachers. It offers several guiding questions to help readers consider the key themes, characters, setting, plot, and moral issues in The Good Lie. Most of these questions don't have right or wrong answers. Rather, they offer an opportunity to explore an open-ended discussion about the novel.
  1. The title of the novel, The Good Lie, can have two meanings. What are they?
  2. The Good Lie is set in and around Victoria, British Columbia. How does this setting, with its mix of urban life and seaside influences, affect your reactions to the book?
  3. The first few scenes describe a group of kayakers as they make their way to Discovery Island. What are your expectations as they paddle back to Victoria from the island?
  4. On their return voyage the kayakers pass a group of angry sea lions. As the novel unfolds, Paul has powerful memories of this encounter. What effect do these memories have on the reader?
  5. At the conclusion of chapter one, an accident results in a serious injury. Who is responsible for the accident? Why does the accident plague Paul throughout the novel?
  6. The novel is written in the third person but it follows the perspective of only one character. Why do you think the author decided to structure the story this way? How would it change readers' reactions if the story included the point of view of Valerie or Reg?
  7. The story portrays two families: the Wakefields and Jensens. What are the similarities and differences between the families? Which family most deserves our sympathy?
  8. The scenes that reveal Paul and Valerie's early relationship are narrated as flashbacks. How do these scenes enhance your understanding of them as individuals?
  9. Jack Wise was a real, highly respected, Canadian painter. Why do you think the author portrayed a real person in a work of fiction?
  10. Jack Wise has a special relationship with Paul. Describe the impact he has in Paul's life.
  11. Once Reg begins to prowl around the Wakefield's house and Eliot's school, Paul seems unable to confront Reg, or to consult with the police or his lawyer about his deepest fears. Why does he delay?
  12. After a long period of rising tension between Paul and Reg they have a confrontation in Reg's garage. How was this tension built—and sustained—as the novel progressed?
  13. Most of the novel is written in the present tense. Traditionally, most fiction is written in the past tense. Why would the author use the present as the predominant tense?
  14. As the book unfolds, there is growing emphasis on prayer, contacting The Mind, and Fran Jensen's devout belief in spiritual healing. How do these practices change Paul's view of his own life?
  15. Except for two instances, Paul keeps his secret to himself. By maintaining his code of silence, did he act in a morally responsible manner? How would you react in his situation?
  16. Eliot is portrayed as a very bright boy who might one day achieve great things. What was your reaction to him as the novel progressed?
  17. Valerie struggles with her relationship with her mother, Jeanine. Does Jeanine provide any genuine love and support to her daughter, or is she simply driven by her guilt over Valerie's illness and surgery?
  18. As he prepares for his legal testimony, Paul calculates the "cost" of his lie. He decides that to provide for Jenny's needs and those of his own family, the best course of action is to commit perjury. Is he right?
  19. After Jack Wise describes a painting by Chagall entitled "Time is a River without Banks," Paul begins to recall his relationship with Valerie and his past life in Montreal. In a way, time flows backwards for him and so too, does the narrative sequence. How does this break in the normal flow of time affect the reader?
  20. At one point Valerie refers to Paul as "Hamlet." What does she mean by this reference?
  21. Identify these three classic conflict patterns in The Good Lie: man against nature, man against man, man against himself.
  22. Who was Marcus Aurelius and why does Paul become obsessed with Aurelius's book, Meditations, in the last third of the novel?
  23. As Paul and the detective, Frank Lowe, wait outside Reg Jensen's house, what surprising detail does the detective reveal about Paul's past? What does Paul determine from this revelation?
  24. What drove Reg Jensen to commit such depraved acts of violence at the climax of the story?
  25. What are the key moral conflicts in the novel? If you were Paul, what would you do differently? How would your actions have changed the course of events for the other characters?
  26. Before the accident Paul and Valerie had an almost perfect marriage. Is that still the case by the end of the novel? Has their experience strengthened their bond? Once their lives return to normal, should Paul reveal his secret to Valerie?
  27. Some novels provide a deeply satisfying conclusion, others simply taper off to an end. What do you think of the conclusion of The Good Lie?