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    The Witch Elm by Tana French: Why You'll Like It: About The Author

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    lipenunes
    The novel follows Toby, who takes refuge at his family home after being attacked, where he makes a grisly discovery that reveals his family's hidden history. It examines questions of culpability around a murder and how people's past actions contributed to the crime. Toby struggles with his mental state and memories of the events.

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    The Witch Elm by Tana French: Why You'll Like It: About The Author

    Uploaded by

    lipenunes
    46 views2 pages
    The novel follows Toby, who takes refuge at his family home after being attacked, where he makes a grisly discovery that reveals his family's hidden history. It examines questions of culpability around a murder and how people's past actions contributed to the crime. Toby struggles with his mental state and memories of the events.

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    The Witch Elm

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    The novel follows Toby, who takes refuge at his family home after being attacked, where he makes a grisly discovery that reveals his family's hidden history. It examines questions of culpability around a murder and how people's past actions contributed to the crime. Toby struggles with his mental state and memories of the events.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    46 views2 pages

    The Witch Elm by Tana French: Why You'll Like It: About The Author

    Uploaded by

    lipenunes
    The novel follows Toby, who takes refuge at his family home after being attacked, where he makes a grisly discovery that reveals his family's hidden history. It examines questions of culpability around a murder and how people's past actions contributed to the crime. Toby struggles with his mental state and memories of the events.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    The Witch Elm by Tana French

    Left for dead by burglars while partying with friends, a happy-go-lucky charmer takes refuge at
    his dilapidated ancestral home before a grisly discovery reveals an unsuspected family history.

    Why you'll like it: Intricately plotted. Suspenseful. Well-crafted dialogue.


    About the Author: Tana French grew up in Ireland, Italy, the US and Malawi. She trained as a professional
    actress at Trinity College, Dublin, and has worked in theatre, film and voiceover. Her first novel, In the
    Woods, won the 2007 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Her other books include The Likeness, Faithful
    Place, Broken Harbor, and The Secret Place. The Trespasser and The Witch Elm made the New York
    Times bestseller list.
    Questions for Discussion
    1. The novel opens and closes with Toby telling the reader that he considers himself a lucky person. Do
    you agree that he is lucky? When he says his luck is part of who he is, what do you think he means?
    2. The novel begins with Toby getting caught covering for his coworker Tiernan, who is pretending to be an
    underprivileged teen artist. Toby is relieved at having dodged serious consequences, and doesn’t think his
    lie was particularly important. How did you feel when you first encountered Toby at the beginning of the
    novel? As the story progressed, did he absorb the significance of his lie?
    3. Rather than focusing purely on who committed the crime, much of THE WITCH ELM examines how
    many people’s actions contributed to Dominic’s death. When you finished the novel, how did you feel about
    these questions of culpability? Did you see Toby as a victim, an accessory, or something more
    complicated?
    4. For most of the novel, Toby stands by his belief that he’s a good person. But then Susanna and Leon tell
    him about their struggles with Dominic in high school, and about how Toby failed to help them. Did their
    stories change your opinion of Toby? Do you agree with Susanna and Leon that his obliviousness carried a
    certain amount of culpability?
    5. Melissa sticks by Toby throughout most of the investigation, and only leaves after the drunken evening
    when Toby tries to trick Savannah and Leon into confessing. In your opinion, what about that conversation
    was the final straw for her?
    6. Throughout the novel, Toby’s uncle Hugo is dying of brain cancer. How does Hugo’s deterioration fit
    thematically with Toby’s own struggles with his mind?
    7. Once the string from Toby’s hoodie is found inside of the tree, he becomes afraid he was involved in
    Dominic’s death. Why do you think he suspects himself quickly?
    8. After the attack in his apartment, Toby notices that his mental capacities are impaired. He believes
    himself to be unreliable. How reliable a narrator did you find Toby? How did that affect the novel?
    9. While Toby repeats how much he loves Melissa, he often hides things from her, including his physical
    and mental health problems and his fears about his role in Dominic’s murder. Why do you think he does not
    tell her the full truth? Is he protecting her, protecting himself, or underestimating her?
    10. Susanna states that Dominic’s harassment drove her to murder. Do you believe her reasoning? Do you
    have sympathy for Susanna?
    11. Hugo turns himself in for Dominic’s murder. Both Toby and Rafferty think Hugo was protecting Toby.
    Susanna believes Hugo was oblivious to her actions during the summer Dominic was killed. Do you think
    Hugo knew more than he let on? Was he protecting Toby, or Susanna and Leon?
    12. This novel was set in and around Dublin. How does the Irish setting contribute to the novel? Would the
    characters have different choices to make if the novel were set in America?
    (Questions provided by readinggroupguides.com)

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