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- At the beginning, we know Judge Andrew Fitzsimons and his wife,
Lydia, have murdered Annie Doyle. How does this narration style,
starting with such a shocking event, affect your understanding of
the story?
- Would things have turned out differently for Annie if she had
been the pretty sister?
- Lydia often says that everything she does is for Laurence, for
his protection and his benefit. What are Lydia’s true motivations?
- Consider each of the parent-child relationships in the book. In
your opinion, which parents are the good parents?
- Are any of the marriages in this novel happy? Which marriages
are affected by divorce being illegal in 1980s Ireland?
- Compare the two sister dynamics: how are Lydia and Diana similar
to Annie and Karen? What does being a sister mean to Karen? What
does it mean to Lydia?
- Lydia assumes all children are closest to their mothers. How
does the novel prove or disprove her assumption?
- What role does class play in Laurence's relationships? How much
of that influence is inherited versus learned?
- Does Lydia get what she wants? Does she get what she deserves?
Does anyone else? Why or why not?
- Liz Nugent is a radio and TV scriptwriter – do
you think that affects the way that she writes her novels?
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