1. Mia has spent years building a life away from Rhode Island. Do you think she truly wanted to escape her past, or was she trying to learn how to live with it?

2. The title Ripples suggests that one event can affect people far beyond the moment it happens. Which "ripple" in the story affected you most?

3. How did your understanding of Mia's father change as the story unfolded? Did you find yourself questioning your initial judgment of him?

4. Family secrets can sometimes be intended as protection. At what point does protecting someone become harmful?

5. Mia is a psychologist who spends her professional life helping other people understand themselves. What do you think she understands about other people that she struggles to understand about herself?

6. Several characters carry guilt for things that were not entirely within their control. Do you think guilt and responsibility are always the same thing?

7. What role does Rhode Island play in the novel? Do you think the story would feel different if Mia returned somewhere completely unfamiliar rather than returning home?

8. Love and grief coexist throughout Ripples. Do you think Mia's past relationship prevents her from moving forward, or does remembering that love ultimately help her move forward?

9. Were there any characters whose choices frustrated you? If you could sit down with that character, what would you want to ask them?

10. By the end of the novel, Mia has to make a choice about whether she will continue living in the shadow of what happened or choose a different future. Do you think she truly finds closure, or does she simply learn to live differently with what happened?

11. Ripples asks whether we can ever really leave our pasts behind. After reading the novel, what do you think the answer is?

Have you read Ripples with your book club?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and, when possible join your discussion virtually.