Discussion questions for The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

1. There were two mysteries.  Which one did you find more compelling?  What were your theories about each as the plot progressed?
2. What did you think of the ending(s)?  The reviewer for Booklist calls the resolution “surprising and satisfying”.  Do you agree?
3. The book is narrated from several perspectives (Alice, Louise, Tracy, Carl, Sluiter, Judy).  Did you prefer one character’s perspective over others?  Were any of the narrators unreliable?  Why do you think the author chose those characters as narrators?
4. Who was the God of the Woods?  And what is the pink stuff dripping down the cover?
5. Would you classify this book as a mystery?  A thriller?  Something else?
6. Why do you think the author chose to set the book in the 1960s and ‘70s?
7. The reviewer for The New York Times argues that “it’s clear that Moore is firmly on the side of Louise and all the good-hearted people of Shattuck who spent days trying to find Bear.”  Do you agree?  If so, how did Moore convey her sympathies?
8. Reviewers have described this book as being about parenting, family, the haves vs. the have-nots, the role of women, and more.  What do you think this book was “about”?

Have another book you’d like questions for, or want to share your own questions with us?