The novel shares many themes and narrative elements with Semple’s previous novel, Where’d You Go, Bernadette. Compare and contrast the novels. How does Semple use the elements similarly? How does she use them differently?

The novel is divided into seven chapters. How does the novel’s structure support its themes? Why do you think Semple used this structure?

Joe is a staunch atheist who is revealed to have become a born-again Christian. What effect does this reveal have on the narrative and its themes? How do Joe and Eleanor navigate this major change together, and how do their efforts reflect their growth as individuals and as a couple?