For those of you that haven't or couldn't attend book club lately, we'll be publishing the previous months' discussion questions here. I hope eventually to post discussion questions for all of the books we've covered since I took over a couple of years ago and beyond, all the way to the beginning over a decade and a half ago. We are closer than you think to accomplishing it. Until then, we will be posting discussion questions on a weekly basis. Here are the questions from our current title, Nothing To See Here. We hope these questions spark discussions of your own.
Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson
Summary:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Family Fang, a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with a remarkable ability.
Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help.
Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth.
Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her—urgently and fiercely. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?
With white-hot wit and a big, tender heart, Kevin Wilson has written his best book yet—a most unusual story of parental love. -- Publisher Description
Discussion Questions
Official Questions
The twins in Nothing to See Here spontaneously combust when they get agitated. The fire they generate can burn others, but leaves them unharmed. What might the nature of this condition represent? Did your perception of the condition change at all throughout the book? Did you become more used to it? Less?
This novel offers a unique perspective on the complexities of love and what it means to look beyond a person’s differences. What sort of preconceived notions does Lillian bring to this job? How do Bessie and Roland challenge those notions?
Lillian works hard to establish and maintain a bond with the twins. What is it about Lillian that makes her uniquely equipped for this job? Why is she able to connect with them while others have failed?
Throughout the book, many characters look for ways to control or cure the twins' condition. Think about the variety of methods put forward. What did you think of each method? What might the methods suggested reveal about each person who suggested them?
At the end of chapter three, Lillian expresses surprise that the children’s hair remains unsinged after they burst into flames: I don’t know why, with these demon children bursting into flames right in front of me, their bad haircuts remaining intact was the magic that fully amazed me, but that’s how it works, I think. The big thing is so ridiculous that you absorb only the smaller miracles. Do you relate to this sentiment? What other “smaller miracles” are present in the story?
The novel offers examples of how class dynamics can shape an individual's experience: Lillian and Madison’s differing experiences at their elite high school, for instance, or Lillian’s early days as an employee on the Roberts estate alongside Carl and Mary. How does wealth and privilege shape the story? Which characters most feel the impact of this?
How does Lillian’s dark sense of humor amplify the book’s themes of love, acceptance, and parenting? Did you enjoy the use of humor throughout the novel? What did it tell you about Lillian’s character?
Lillian makes a big life change at the end of the novel. What did you think about her journey from Madison’s high school roommate to eventual caretaker to her step-kids? What do you think she ultimately saw in Roland and Bessie that led her to make such a change?
Madison and Lillian have a complicated relationship that veers from deep affection to intense rivalry to bitter resentment to uneasy allies. Do you think they’re foils for one another or something else? How does their competitive edge play into their relationship? And do you think their relationship will live on after the events of the novel?
Nothing to See Here explores different representations of family structure and dynamic. How do the family units presented at the beginning of the book evolve and change? What does Lillian value in family? Which characters share those values, and which characters differ?
My Questions:
Lillian states in the first few pages that she isn't sure that what is between her and Madison is exactly friendship, even if Madison considers it such. Even so, she upends what life she has and moves to Nashville at the drop of a hat for her friend. Have you ever had anyone like that in your life? What would you do for them? Would you do anything for them? What does it say for female relationships?
Given everything that goes on in the story, what is the significance of the title, Nothing to See Here? How does the title color your understanding of the novel? Of the characters?
At the beginning of the novel, Madison equates having power with never getting punished. How does this belief reflect her character as well as the novel’s themes?
What did the book gain from being told in first person perspective? What does it lose? Do you find the novel being told from Lillian's perspective to be more or less reliable? How do you think being told from another of the main characters' perspectives would have influenced the story?
At one point, Lillian was ambitious, and it's obvious she is smart. However, ambition and drive only got her so far. Explore what went wrong before the novel began.
Reflect on what you think Lillian's life will look like after the novel. How about the twins? Any other characters you have a strong desire to see where their lives end up beyond the story? How so?
Talk about spontaneous human combustion and the author's unique interpretation of the concept.
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