Free of Malice (Lazarus) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
1. MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP
From your experience, did Laura and Chris have a realistic relationship?

2. COUNSELING & EMDR
Were you surprised that Laura resisted professional counseling? Prior to reading the book, were you familiar with EMDR? Have you experienced or do you know someone who has tried or practices EMDR? Do you believe counseling would play a significant role toward recovery for someone in Laura’s position? When do you believe therapy isn’t necessary?

3. GUNS & SELF-DEFENSE
Laura opted to "process" her way through her recovery. Part of that process included figuring out ways to protect herself. For Laura, that meant learning how to use a gun and buying her own handgun. Have you ever shot a handgun? If someone disturbed the privacy of your home, could you see yourself buying a gun and doing target practice? Why or why not?

 4. JURY SELECTION
Have you ever served on a jury? After reading the detailed account of how juries are chosen, did you learn more about the process of jury selection? If you’ve served on a jury, are you more or less surprised that you were chosen? Why or why not?

 5. VICTIM MENTALITY
Throughout the book, Laura demonstrates a variety of ways of comforting herself. How does Laura comfort herself? What do you see as the relationship between self-comfort and being a victim? Do you believe Laura handled being a victim effectively? What do you think she should have done differently?

6. HYPER-VIGILANCE
After the attack, Laura struggled to figure out if she was being hyper-vigilant or too trusting in the face of what she saw as clear evidence against the people around her. Do you believe Laura handles her emotions well or does she rein them in too closely—or, at some points, does she go too far? If so, where does she cross the line?

7. RACE
What surprised you about the role race played in the way Laura’s story played out?

8. TABOO TOPICS
Free of Malice touches on multiple contemporary issues including race, gun rights and victim’s rights. Most of us refrain from discussion of those issues in polite conversation. What is the value in having open discussion of topics like race and gun rights?

9. ENDING
Were you surprised by the ending? What different ending could you imagine for this book? Was the ending too “happily-ever-after”?

10. MOVIE CASTING
If Free of Malice were made into a movie, whom would you cast as Laura, Thomas, Barbara and Chris?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)

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