Discussion Questions

1. De Rosnay sets the scene in a dystopian Paris: What adjectives, imagery, and themes does she use? Describe how this is a very different Paris, nothing to do with the postcard image for tourists. Did you find these descriptions scary? Or realistic?
2. How does de Rosnay depict Clarissa’s new apartment in the state-of-the-art C.A.S.A. residence? How does her virtual assistant, Mrs. Dalloway, slowly encroach upon her privacy? Do you think Chablis, the cat, really sees or feels something?
3. This book takes us into the minds and homes of two writers: Virginia Woolf and Romain Gary. Discuss how both of them differently affect Clarissa and leave their imprints upon her. Discuss the themes and images used in Gary’s Parisian apartment, then in Woolf’s country home and garden. What did you learn?
4. Through her notebook, we see how Clarissa discovers her husband’s infidelity and that it’s not what she expected. Were you shocked by this outcome and why? What did you think of François’s letter to her? Describe why you think Clarissa’s plight is worse or better than a more typical situation.
5. Family is essential to Clarissa, especially her daughter, Jordan; her granddaughter, Andy; and her centenarian dad. Discuss how these family ties evolve and change during the story and how siblings can become estranged over inheritance issues. Who is your favorite character and why?
6. According to Virginia Woolf, the term “flowers of darkness” suggests our own paranoia and how we deal with it. Would you have trusted C.A.S.A. and Dr. Dewinter’s principles? How would you have reacted to what Clarissa undergoes in the residence? How do you view the future and its threats? Do you ever feel “invaded” by the encroachment of technology into our everyday lives? Discuss whether you think Clarissa is correct in her assumptions or whether she might be overreacting.
7. Clarissa is fluent in English and in French and writes in both languages simultaneously. After her discoveries concerning C.A.S.A., she is convinced that artificial intelligence is scavenging what she calls “hybrid brains,” such as hers. Do you think she has a point, or is she being paranoid yet again?
8. Clarissa’s dreams play an important part in the story, as does hypnosis. Describe the themes and patterns of the images coming back to haunt Clarissa and how they coalesce with her present.
9. During her interview for C.A.S.A. residency, Clarissa states that she does not write books to give answers but to make her readers think. How did you handle the open ending of this novel? What do you believe de Rosnay’s true intent was?
10. Toby, Clarissa’s ex-husband, is an essential part of her life. Why is this? Discuss the final scene with Toby and its repercussions. Has Clarissa really reached safe harbor? What do you think is in store for her?
11. What was your impression of Clarissa at the beginning of the book? What about at the end? Over the course of the novel, how does she change, and what does she learn about herself? If this book became a movie, which actress would you cast as Clarissa?
12. If you have read The Rain Watcher, A Secret Kept, Sarah’s Key, The Other Story, or The House I Loved—also by de Rosnay—can you point to any common themes that are found in her books?