The Secrets We Hide
Cut along the dashed lines and pass the cards around the table.
Where were you (on the couch, in bed, up late with a lamp on) when this book first really hooked you, and did you need something comforting nearby to keep going?
A small town like North Falls can feel suffocating and safe at the same time. What's a small place (a hometown, a neighborhood, a summer spot) that felt like that to you?
Emmy spends the book trying to protect a whole town while carrying her own load. When have you been the person everyone leans on, and what helped you keep going?
The story centers on a mother and a daughter. What moments made you think of your own family, the people who raised you, or the people you've cared for?
In a town where everyone knows everyone, keeping a secret can feel like kindness or like a betrayal. Have you ever kept a secret to protect someone, and how did it feel to carry it?
Slaughter doesn't hold back on the dark parts. What small moments of warmth, kindness, or humor did you hang on to while you read, and why did they stay with you?
By the end, how did your feelings about the people of North Falls change? Did anyone surprise you with their tenderness or let you down? (Share your feelings without giving away who did what.)
Think about everything the daughter goes through in this story. What do you hope for her after the last page, and what would you want her to know about healing?