Silent Sister (Chamberlain) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
1. How did the false story of Lisa’s suicide influence the path Riley took in her career? How did discovering the truth change her approach?

2. On page 87, Danny tells Riley, "It’s not my mind that’s sick…It’s my soul." What does he mean by this?

3. "Her violin had gotten her through some terrible times and now, during the loneliest, scariest time of her life, she didn’t have the one thing that could calm her." Do you have something you turn to during times of hardship in a similar way?

4. How did you react to Danny’s vehement desire to see Lisa arrested? Did your  understanding or reaction change as the story unfolded?

5. On page 318, Celia says, "justice comes in many forms." What does she mean by this? Do you agree?

6. While Riley is looking for the truth about her family she isn’t always sure that she will reach out to Lisa if she is able to find her. What do you see as the turning point in her search when she makes a firm decision to contact Lisa?

7. Throughout the novel both Jeannie Lyons and Verniece Kyle lie to Riley, though with vastly different motives. Did you suspect that they were hiding something? If so, what was it that made you suspicious? What secrets did you think they were keeping, and were you surprised by the truths that Jeannie and Verniece eventually revealed?

8. In what ways do both Riley and Lisa attempt to maintain a sense of connection to family  that they have lost?

9. Both Danny and Riley express complex emotions over both the loss of Lisa and then later  the discovery that she is alive and maintaining a new identity. What conflicting emotions does Riley feel? Why? How do they compare or contrast to Danny’s feelings and the way he expresses them?

10. How did you react to Riley’s decision to move to Seattle and maintain the lie about her and Jade’s history?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)

top of page (summary)