Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book. 1. If you could write an additional chapter that takes place after the conclusion of the novel, what would happen to Alice? 2. If you could create a film adaptation of Leaving Time, which actors might you cast in the lead roles? 3. What question would you most like to ask Jodi Picoult about this novel? Need more inspiration for your next meeting? <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/resources/#book-club-resources" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Browse all of our Book Club Resources</a>.

Creative Engagement

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of mental illness and death. Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book. 1. At what point in reading Leaving Time did you begin to suspect the twist that Jenna and Virgil were ghosts, and what impact did this revelation have on your experience of the novel? 2. Leaving Time explores parent-child relationships through a supernatural lens. Does this approach differ from how Jodi Picoult addresses similar themes in works like <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/my-sisters-keeper/summary/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">My Sister’s Keeper</a> or <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/small-great-things/summary/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Small Great Things</a>? 3. What effect did the numerous parallels between elephant behavior and human emotions have on your reading experience?

General Impressions

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism. 1. What purpose do Alice’s scientific observations about elephant behavior serve in the overall <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/narrative/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">narrative</a> structure? 2. Which <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/point-of-view/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">narrator</a> did you find most reliable, and why? 3. Picoult’s novel shares <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/leaving-time/themes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thematic elements</a> with works like <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/the-lovely-bones/summary/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lovely Bones</a> in its exploration of the afterlife through a child’s perspective. How effective did you find this narrative approach compared to other novels that address similar themes? 4. Which <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/leaving-time/symbols-and-motifs/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">symbol</a>—the pebble necklace, elephant origami, or blue scarf—carries the most emotional weight in the story? 5. Did the novel’s strategy of withholding crucial information until its climactic revelation enhance or diminish your emotional connection to the <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/leaving-time/major-character-analysis/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">characters</a>? 6. Do you find the rules Picoult establishes for how ghosts and spirits function internally consistent, and what do these rules suggest about the novel’s <a href="https://www.supersummary.com/leaving-time/themes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">themes</a>?

Literary Analysis

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences. 1. Alice suggests that elephants can “grieve hard, but then truly, unequivocally, let go” (239). When have you struggled to let go of grief in your own life? 2. In what ways do you relate to Jenna’s determination to find answers about her past? 3. Which memories from your own life would you choose to forget if you could? 4. Which character’s struggle for identity resonated most strongly with you, and why? 5. Does the novel’s suggestion that we maintain connections with loved ones after death align with your own beliefs or experiences? 6. In what ways has your understanding of motherhood been shaped by your personal experiences, and did Alice’s observations about maternal bonds challenge or reinforce these views?

Personal Reflection and Connection

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes. 1. What perspective does the novel offer on animal conservation and the ethics of keeping intelligent animals in sanctuaries? 2. Through its portrayal of Thomas’s bipolar disorder, what commentary does the novel make about society’s understanding and treatment of mental illness? 3. Serenity’s fall from grace after one failed prediction mirrors our culture’s treatment of experts and celebrities. Where else do we see this pattern in contemporary society?

Societal and Cultural Context

Natural World

Animals in Literature

Emotions & Behavior

Grief

Memory

Relationships

Mothers

Fiction

Mystery & Crime

Humanities

Religion & Spirituality

Jodi Picoult

Adult

Novel

Leaving Time

Guide

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Overview

Get ready to explore Leaving Time and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

Leaving Time Summary and Study Guide

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Part 1, Chapter 4

Leaving Time Prologue-Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

Part 1, Chapters 5-8

Leaving Time Part 1, Chapters 5-8 Summary & Analysis

Part 1, Chapters 9-11

Leaving Time Part 1, Chapters 9-11 Summary & Analysis

Part 1, Chapters 12-17

Leaving Time Part 1, Chapters 12-17 Summary & Analysis

Part 2, Chapters 18-21

Leaving Time Part 2, Chapters 18-21 Summary & Analysis

Part 2, Chapters 22-26

Leaving Time Part 2, Chapters 22-26 Summary & Analysis

Part 2, Chapters 27-32

Leaving Time Part 2, Chapters 27-32 Summary & Analysis

Part 2, Chapters 33-43

Leaving Time Part 2, Chapters 33-43 Summary & Analysis

Novella: Larger Than Life

Leaving Time Novella: Larger Than Life Summary & Analysis

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Character Analysis

Leaving Time Character Analysis

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Themes

Leaving Time Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Leaving Time Symbols & Motifs

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Important Quotes

Leaving Time Important Quotes with Page Numbers

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Essay Topics

Leaving Time Essay Topics

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societalAndCulturalContextTitle

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Book Club Questions

Leaving Time Book Club Questions

Leaving Time

Jodi Picoult

Leaving Time Book Club Questions

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Leaving Time

Jodi Picoult

Leaving Time Book Club Questions

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