Why do you think her reaction to Dawn is so strong? After learning about more about Dawn, do you agree with Jean?Ĩ. It’s one of the rare instances where Jean gets worked up and outwardly emotional. Jean harbors a lot of anger toward Bella’s mother, Dawn Elliott, and repeatedly accuses her of being a “bad mother” throughout the book. Why do you think people were so interested in this crime and the people involved? Do you think society’s morbid fascination with this crime helped or hurt the investigation? How do you think our fascination with these types of crimes affects real-life investigations?ħ. Bella’s disappearance captivated the public’s attention.

How would you describe the quality of their relationship? Did your feelings about Jean change as you learned more about her and her marriage to Glen?Ħ. Discuss Jean and Glen-separately and together as a couple.

What did you think of Kate’s investigative methods? How does her presence in the story affect how it unfolds? Do you think the media help or hinder the police during crime investigations? Give some examples from the book to illustrate your points.ĥ. What do you think finally pushed Jean into telling her story? Do you think she wanted to tell her story all along? If so, what held her back?Ĥ. What were your initial impressions of her? Do you think the image she presented was sincere? Why or why not? Did your opinions about her change as the novel unfolded. What is the effect of alternating between the perspectives of the Widow, the Reporter, the Detective and the Mother? How did this narrative structure impact your reading of the novel and your opinions about the various characters and events?Ģ. Discuss the structure of the book and why the author chose to write the story in this way.

The widow fiona barton synopsis