1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Amor Towles is the author of several best-selling historical fiction books, including A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility. If you have read either of these novels, how does this one compare with Towles’s other work? If you have not, does this book make you interested in reading them?
• How does this book compare to other novels that feature formerly incarcerated juveniles, such as Lockdown, Dear Justyce, We Were Here, or Punching the Air? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

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

• As Emmett tries to fulfill the promise to his brother, he often finds himself in an internal battle between what is right and wrong. What factors go into your determination of what is right and wrong in your own life? Do these factors hold up when you imagine yourself in a situation like Emmett’s?
• The novel juxtaposes ordinary people with classical heroes, and Professor Abernathe’s POV chapter reveals why. Do you believe that anyone can be a hero, or are some destined for support roles, as Abernathe seems to believe?
• Which narrators do you feel closest to? For instance, Duchess and Sally are the only two characters who receive first-person POV sections.