I'm Glad My Mom Died book club questions

Before your meeting

Major themes

family systems, exploitation, boundaries, and reclaiming a personal narrative

Best for

Memoir groups prepared for candid discussion of abuse and disordered eating

Content consideration

Review the connected book page and publisher description before assigning; group members should be free to skip questions or scenes they do not want to discuss.

Discussion questions

1. What did the opening teach you to expect from I'm Glad My Mom Died, and which of those expectations did the novel later overturn?
2. The book invites discussion of family systems, exploitation, boundaries, and reclaiming a personal narrative. Which theme changed most as the story progressed, and what scene caused that shift?
3. Which character makes the most understandable bad decision? What pressures make it understandable without necessarily making it right?
4. How does the setting limit what the characters believe is possible? Identify one rule, custom, or physical space that shapes a major choice.
5. What information does the narration withhold, distort, or reveal late? How did that structure affect your trust in the story?
6. Choose one relationship that is not the most obvious central pairing. What does it reveal about loyalty, power, or the character’s private self?
7. Was the ending emotionally earned? Name an earlier moment that best prepares the reader for the final outcome.
8. If your group could ask the author one craft question about I'm Glad My Mom Died, what would reveal the most about how the book was built?
9. Which reader would you recommend this book to—and what expectation would you set so they approach it on the right terms?