Discover thought-provoking The Last Thing He Told Me book club questions (without spoilers!) here. This #1 New York Times bestselling Reese’s book club selection was a five-star read and my own book of the year, defying genres and captivating readers worldwide.
You’ll foster meaningful discussion and get free printable book club questions to use as a book club resource at your in-person meeting. Let’s get literary!
Quick Summary of The Last Thing He Told Me With Themes
- #1 Instant New York Times bestseller
- Reese Witherspoon’s book club pick
- Over 3 million copies sold
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is an unputdownable book that follows a woman named Hannah Hall, whose new husband, Owen Michaels, mysteriously disappears, leaving behind only a request that she protect his teenage daughter, Bailey Michaels.
Bailey is the typical rebellious stepdaughter, so this won’t be easy for Hannah. More importantly, where did Owen go? And why? As Hannah begins to manage this unexpected predicament, Owen’s boss is publicly arrested for fraud, and FBI agents arrive at her home. It is then that Hannah first questions whether her husband is who she thought he was.
She and Bailey travel from Sausalito, California, to Austin, Texas, to try to piece together what they don’t know about Owen’s past.
The Last Thing He Told Me moves at a super-fast pace that keeps your heart pounding. I finished it in one day, and it gave me a book hangover!
Its themes (family secrets, trust and betrayal, marriage and stepfamily dynamics, lies and truth, mother-daughter relationships, fugitives, and hidden pasts) make it a great book for your reading group. As I did, you’ll wonder whether you can ever really know someone you love and what I would do in Hannah’s shoes.
The perfect beach read, this is a thriller that’s uniquely about family dynamics and the meaning of family in very unique circumstances, and it’s filled with twists and turns that you will not be able to figure out the mystery — trust me!
Reading Tip: The audiobook version of The Last Thing He Told Me was unstoppable.
The Last Thing He Told Me Book Club Questions (Without Spoilers)
The Last Thing He Told Me is a unique book that could have had any number of titles. Why do you think author Laura Dave selected this one?
Do you find any significance to the family home being a boat?
What did you think Owen meant when he said, “Protect her,” both when you started reading The Last Thing He Told Me and when you finished it?
What do the two words “Protect her” reveal about Owen’s personality?
Where did you initially suspect Owen had gone and why?
What do you think Owen wanted to happen after he left?
Did Owen make the right decision to leave as he did?
Did the flashbacks to “happier times” change your impressions of any of the characters or how they got to the present?
How would you have felt in Hannah’s shoes if Owen were your husband?
How would you have felt in Bailey’s shoes if Owen were your father?
What made Bailey dislike Hannah at first?
Discuss Hannah’s questions about her predicament and what questions you would have had.
Would you have attempted to uncover the truth as Hannah did?
Did any of the answers Hannah found surprise you?
What do these truths reveal about Owen’s character?
Hannah is a unique character in a unique predicament. How would you describe her and her motivations?
Would you have made the same decisions for the future as Hannah?
Discuss Hannah’s, Bailey’s, and Owen’s views on love.
Discuss the role of trust in The Last Thing He Told Me and the characters’ views on it.
How did Hannah change throughout The Last Thing He Told Me?
How did Hannah’s and Bailey’s relationship change throughout The Last Thing He Told Me?
Discuss the difficulties of stepparenting.
Discuss Hannah’s views on motherhood and parenting.
Discuss Hannah’s experience as a child of each of her parents (and step-parent).
What do you think will happen to these characters in the future?
What was your first reaction after turning the final page of The Last Thing He Told Me?
The Last Thing He Told Me is very thought-provoking. Did you find yourself thinking about it long after you read it?
What genre would you categorize The Last Thing He Told Me as — mystery, thriller, suspense, family drama, or something else?
Have you ever been surprised by discovering a secret or another side to someone you love?
Can we ever fully know someone?
The Last Thing He Told Me became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Why do you think it was so popular so fast?
Why do you think Reese Witherspoon selected The Last Thing He Told Me as a book club selection?
How do you compare The Last Thing He Told Me to other Reese Witherspoon book club picks?
The Last Thing He Told Me has “unputdownable” qualities. How quickly did you read it?
If you know anything about the adaptation of The Last Thing He Told Me, discuss it.
What is the theme of The Last Thing He Told Me?
What does the ending of The Last Thing He Told Me mean?
Author Laura Dave created an amazing Spotify playlist of the songs that inspired The Last Thing He Told Me. Why do you think she selected these songs?
Of note, Dave told Variety that “[i]t took more than 13,000 plays of the Bruce Springsteen song “If I Should Fall Behind” — a live version recorded with the E Street Band at Madison Square Garden — to help [her] finish [the book].” Listen to the song and discuss how it relates to the book.
Printable PDF Reading Guide of the Discussion Questions
FREE BONUS
Subscribe to The Literary Lifestyle’s email newsletter. You’ll get an exclusive, printable PDF book club guide of book club discussion questions for any book.
Book Club Ideas For Food and Activities
- Actress Jennifer Garner, who played Hannah in the TV adaptation of the book shared the recipe for Hannah’s brown butter and sage pasta.
- Be sure to also listen to Laura Dave’s Spotify playlist of the songs that inspired The Last Thing He Told Me.
- You can also watch the Apple TV+ adaptation; it was fantastic, and it follows the book closely!
Watch the trailer for the adaptation on Youtube:
Book Club Books to Read Next
If you loved these The Last Thing He Told Me book club questions, check out these books next:
- Verity Discussion Questions
- None of This Is True Discussion Questions
- The Guest List Discussion Questions
- First Lie Wins Discussion Questions
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
