1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How did the interplay of genres (crime novel, mystery, family drama) affect your interaction with the text? Do you normally read any or all of these genres? Did that experience with other texts affect how you viewed Strange Sally Diamond?
• Does the novel suggest that it’s possible to escape the past?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Sally doesn’t see a point in funerals. What rituals around death do you find comforting, and which do you find unimportant or personally meaningless?
• Strange Sally Diamond looks at the “nature versus nurture” debate, given Sally and Peter’s upbringings. Which of these forces do you feel is more powerful in determining one’s character?
• Do you feel that Sally should have given Mark money from the house sale? Why or why not?
• Thomas doesn’t push Sally to expand her social circle to let her avoid more pain. Do you think pain should always, never, or sometimes be avoided? What are the limits and reasoning behind your answer?
• Have you ever had an aspect of your identity that others consider negative but that you consider positive? If so, what, and how does this positively affect your life?
• Have you ever broken an unspoken social rule? What happened?

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