“The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn is one of my favorite books of all time! I read it twice this year; once this springĀ and again for our November 2018 book club pick! I included my “The Alice Network” Discussion Questions below, as well as a fun map I made of Charlie’s journey! It helped me visualize where they were traveling, and I think it may help you too š
* WARNING- SPOILERS BELOW*
The Alice Network Discussion Questions
~Edith Piaf Pandora plays in the background~
- Before we say anything about the book, do the thumb vote:
- On the count of three, everyone is going to hold up their hand signal
- If you read the book, youāll use your right hand to give it a thumb rating
- If you started the book but didnāt finish it, youāll hold up an empty fist
- If you never started the book, youāll hold up two high-fives
- Poll: Who was your favorite- Charlie or Eve? Discuss
- Discussion Questions:
- Question #1:Ā Which time period and perspective did enjoy more? How did the two storylines complement each other?
- Question #2: Ā The book is told from Charlieās first-person perspective, and Eveās third-person perspective. Do you think this shaped how you viewed the characters initially?
- Question #3:Ā What was your opinion of Charlie, the self-proclaimed ādrunk, pregnant, slutā? Do you think our sexual double-standards have changed much since 1947? Were you surprised when sheĀ came on to Finn?
- Question #4:Ā The role of women and men is an interesting concept brought up throughout the book. Charlie canāt take out her own money or do anything without a father or husband. Eve repeatedly insists that men and soldiers donāt get the same treatment and questions as her. But throughout it all, Captain Cameron specifically seeks out women for these roles because men like Rene always assume spies are men. Discuss the role of women in The Alice Network.
- Question #5:Ā Lili tells Eve, āTo tell the truth, much of this special work we do is quite boring.ā Did the realities of spy work surprise you, compared to the more glamorous version presented by Hollywood? How do you think you would have fared working for the historical Alice Network?
- Question #6:Ā The disappearance of Charlieās cousin Rose Fournier provides the storyās driving search. Did her eventual fate surprise you? Had you ever heard of Oradour-sur-Glane?
- Question #7:Ā Did you cry? What scenes caused the most emotion? What scenes caused the most anxiety for you to read/listen to?
- Question #8:Ā Eveās spy journey becomes very complicated when she becomes Reneās lover. While Eve hates him, it becomes complicated when theyāre intimate. What did you think about their relationship? Did Rene ever get over Eve?
- Question #9:Ā Letās talk about the torture scene. āI will not tell you one single solitary fact about my work, my friends, or the woman I was arrested with. But I will tell you this, RenĆ© Bordelon. Youāre a gullible fool. Youāre a terrible lover. And I hate Baudelaire.ā
- Question #10:Ā Did Rene Bordelon deserve his fate? Did he deserve legal justice or vigilante justice? Did you think it was āpoetic justiceā?
- Question #11:Ā Letās talk about Captain Cameron. Did you pick up on some of the last details about him? (He was the one paying for Eveās pension and he committed suicide.)
- Question #12:Ā Did you like the ending? Was it too happy?
- History Lesson
- Who āgoogledā this after reading it? Did you know it was a true story?
- How did you feel about Liliās fate?
- Marie-LĆ©onie Vanhoutte, āViolette Lameronā, wrote the book about Lili