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Welcome to the final discussion of The Last Thing He Told Me.

Did you enjoy the ending? Did the characters end up where you wanted them to end up? 

At the beginning of the section, it seemed like Hannah and Bailey and Owen would enter witness protection. But, it also seemed like that wasn’t what Owen wanted. I couldn’t believe that Hannah was willing to not do that in order to follow what she believed Owen wanted. I think I would have caved under the pressure. What did you think when Hannah decided that she needed to talk to Nicholas. She was so brave to do that. I don’t think I could have done the same. During the meeting, she tells Nicholas to keep his former colleagues away from her and Bailey, so they can continue living their normal lives. In exchange, Nicholas can have a relationship with Bailey if that’s what she wants to do. But, Owen isn’t part of the deal. He can’t come back home. Did that surprise you? Do you think that’s the deal that Owen would have wanted Hannah to make? Nicholas believes that the last thing Owen would want was to never be able to see Bailey again, but Hannah believes that he would rather that happen than anything threaten Bailey’s safety. Who do you think is right? 

I can’t believe that Hannah was able to decide that she would be able to live without seeing Owen again. It seems like an impossible choice. I can’t believe she was strong enough to pick Bailey over Owen. 

Owen calls Bailey near the end of the book and confirms that he can’t come home again. It was sad that Bailey has to reconcile that loss. But, at least she got to keep her life and her identity. Do you think that Owen would have come home if they had entered witness protection? I don’t think he would have. I think he always knew there was a time that he would have to leave Bailey to keep her safe. 

Do you think Bailey will choose to have a relationship with her mother’s family? I think she will. 

At the very end of the book, Hannah is able to see Owen again. And, she knows that he’s watching, and he knows that Bailey is safe. I liked that the book ended with us knowing that Bailey and Hannah are close now. Hannah definitely deserved that with all that she was willing to do for Bailey. Do you think that Owen will ever be able to make contact with Bailey? I don’t think he ever will. But, I think he has found ways to keep tabs on Bailey. 

Did you like the ending? Are you glad that you read the book? Would you recommend this book to a friend? If you enjoyed this book and would like to read and watch similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Make sure to check out the video below to hear Jennifer Garner talk about the series adaptation. Do you think you’ll watch the series? 

I hope you enjoyed reading the book this month! I can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts about the ending. Next month, we’re reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I hope you’ll join our discussion!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Last Thing He Told Me.

Did you enjoy this section? There was so much action! I found myself flying through the chapters!

Did things go the way you thought they would in Austin? It was so surprising that they were able to find out so much information about Owen without much to go on. Which part did you think was most surprising–them finding information about the wedding by visiting that church or them finding information by speaking to the professor? I thought both avenues would be dead ends, but they ended up being surprisingly helpful. It was also interesting that Hannah was able to remember so many details about past inconsistencies that Owen mentioned. I’m not sure that I would have been able to remember all of those small moments because they wouldn’t have seemed that important at the time. Do you think Hannah ever suspected anything about Owen? There were a lot of weird moments with him clamming up about Austin or being recognized as having gone to Roosevelt High in Texas. Do you think some part of her thought he might be hiding something and that’s why she made sure to take note of those incidents? 

Were you surprised when it was revealed that the Owen Hannah married didn’t exist? His record of life didn’t begin until he and Bailey moved to Sausalito. Did you believe that he was hiding illegal activities? Or, did you think that maybe he was hiding a second family? I really didn’t know what to think. All of the flashback chapters made Owen seem so kind and nice. It was just so surprising to think that he wasn’t who he said he was. 

Hannah confides in Grady again, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t trust him completely. Were you surprised when she told Grady about the bag of money? That took a lot of trust. It does seem like Grady is wanting to help Owen. But, why is he working separately from the other investigators? Why does he seem to know so much about Owen when no one else does? 

Were you surprised that Owen had a photograph of a different woman up as his wife? I was really surprised when they found that picture of Katherine Smith and realized that she, not the Olivia lady that was displayed in their home, was Bailey’s mother. When they found that picture, I really wondered if Katherine was still alive and that’s why Owen left town. 

It shouldn’t have been surprising when we learned that Bailey’s name wasn’t really Bailey. It was Kristin.  I should have expected that, but I was surprised. The meeting with Charlie at the bar was really intense. I was scared for Hannah the whole time she was talking to him. 

Were you surprised when we finally realized why Owen changed his name and left for Sausalito? I didn’t expect his secret past to involve the mafia and witness protection. I was glad that it was revealed that Owen was still a nice man, and he wasn’t a murderer or something. It just was so surprising that his father in law was so involved with the mafia. And that Katherine was killed in such a sad way. 

At the end of the section, Bailey runs away and Grady shows up at Hannah’s door. What do you think is going to happen in the last section? Do you think Bailey is in danger? Do you think Owen is going to show up again? Will Bailey be able to have contact with her mother’s side of the family? 

Before you go, check out the video below in which author, Laura Dave, talks about her new book. 

Thanks for following along this week! I hope you’re excited to finish the book. Don’t forget to leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this section!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of the The Last Thing He Told Me.

What did you think of the first part of the book? Are you enjoying the story so far? Was it hard for you to stop reading at the end of Part 1? 

One thing I thought was so interesting about this book was the setting. I had never heard of the floating houses in Sausalito, had you? I can’t believe there is such an interesting array of houses that are floating right on the water. If you want to learn more about these exciting homes, check out this article. 

The characters are also really interesting and engaging. What do you think of Hannah? She seems like a very nice person. She definitely tried hard throughout to be a kind and loving stepmother to Bailey. She didn’t flinch when she realized that she was going to have to take care of Bailey–I don’t think that all people would be like that. I thought it was surprising that she was so patient with Bailey, even when they hadn’t known each other for that long. Owen and Hannah were not married very long when he left. She also jumped right in to trying to figure out where her husband was. It didn’t seem like she had to take much time to decide if she was going to search for him on her own or not. 

What do you think of Owen? In all of the flashbacks, he seems so kind and unassuming. It seems so unlikely that he would put up with illegal behavior at work. Do you think he knew what was going on at work? What do you think of the money he left for Bailey? Was it illegally accessed? At the end of the section, Hannah decides to go to Austin, Texas to figure out more about Owen. Do you think he’s hiding a secret past? Did he run away for some other reason than the illegal money problems at work? 

Do you think Bailey and Hannah are going to become close? Hannah is definitely trying a lot harder than Bailey to have a good relationship. I hope this experience brings them closer together. 

What did you think of Grady, the U.S. Marshal who shows up at Hannah’s door? Do you think he has her best interests at heart? Do you think he really wants to protect Owen, or does he want to bring him in? It’s odd to me that he isn’t working with the special agents that also came to her house to investigate. I just don’t know if he is someone that Hannah can trust. But, I don’t blame her for wanting to trust someone. This is a situation that would feel really isolating. 

What do you think is going to happen in the next section? What will Hannah find in Austin? Do you think his hesitance has anything to do with his first wife? 

Before you go, check out the video below to hear from author, Laura Dave and actress, Jennifer Garner. What was your favorite part of the video? 

Make sure to read Part 2 before checking back next week! I can’t wait to hear your initial thoughts of the book in the comments. 

Welcome to Week 1 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Last Thing He Told Me.

The Online Book Club, if you’ve never joined us before, is a book discussion group that takes place entirely online. Each week, I write a new blog post that talks about different aspects of the book, and you can interact directly with me and other readers by leaving your comments. Check back each week and see what new topics we’re talking about.

The Last Thing He Told Me follows Hannah Hall after her husband mysteriously disappears. Hannah thinks she has a happy marriage with a wonderful man, so she is shocked when her husband doesn’t come home from work and sends a note through a neighbor that says, “Protect her.” Hannah doesn’t know why her husband has gone, but she knows that she needs to protect his teenaged daughter–but what is she protecting her from? Hannah soon learns that the company her husband works for is under investigation, and he has seemingly disappeared to avoid prosecution. She quickly realizes that her husband is not who he said he was, and she must find out his true identity and why he really disappeared. 

If you want to follow along with us, but you aren’t interested in reading the book, you can always watch the show on Apple TV+. Don’t have a subscription to Apple TV+? No problem! You can request one of the Roku Express 4K+ Streaming Devices at the library. Check out the trailer above if you want to get a feel for the how the story plays out on screen. Feel free to still leave comments on the blog posts, even if you’re only watching the series and not reading the book. 

We’ll read Part 1 for next week, so make sure to read that before checking out the next blog post. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!

Welcome to Week 4 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Nickel Boys.

What did you think of the end of the book? Were you surprised by the ending? I was shocked. 

At the beginning of this section, “Elwood” bumps into a guy he knew from school named Chickie. Did that encounter make you wonder if things with Elwood weren’t really what they seemed? It was a weird interaction, but I didn’t guess that Elwood was anything other than what he seemed. I thought that he just wanted to leave Nickel Academy behind and didn’t want to associate with anyone from the school. He really created quite the business for himself. It was nice to read that he was so successful when it seems like many of the boys that graduated from the school were not. I was curious to find out how Elwood left the school since he believed that he had escaped, but Chickie didn’t seem to remember that. I wanted to know more about how he was able to leave the school. 

I wasn’t surprised, once the narrative moved back to the past, that Elwood was determined to find justice and wanted to tell what was really happening at Nickel. He had shown throughout the story that he was committed to doing what was right, even when it hurt him. But, I was sick to my stomach thinking that he would get caught. Were you surprised when Turner agreed to be the one to pass off the letter? It was surprising when Elwood was taken to the White House that they didn’t kill him straight away. I would have thought they they would have wanted to be rid of him. I couldn’t believe that Elwood tried to have a positive attitude while he was locked away in the jail cell. He was so good and really tried to make a difference in the world. 

Were you surprised when Turner came to break him out? Was there any part of you that thought that both boys would make it to safety? How surprised were you when you realized that the survivor was really Turner, and he had just assumed Elwood’s identity? I was so surprised. I was just sick with how the story ended for Elwood. He deserved so much more than he got. He was an innocent boy with a heart for justice and equality, and he was shot down like a dog. It was so, so sad and so hard to read. 

At the end of the book, Turner finally confesses to his wife that he used to go to Nickel and that his name was really Jack Turner. So many pieces fell in to place for her once she realized what kind of past Turner had. I really can’t believe he was able to keep all of that a secret. It was such a huge thing, and I can understand how he would want to move on and not talk about it anymore, but it had to affect every part of his life. I was glad that Turner decided he was going to speak up about the school at the end. I think that was a good way to honor Elwood’s memory. I hope he was able to move Elwood to a proper grave. It was sad that Elwood’s grandmother died so soon after Elwood. I bet she was just heartbroken. In the end, Turner ends up in the same hotel where the story starts with Elwood. Why do you think Colson Whitehead chose to end the story that way? 

How did you feel after you finished reading? Are you sad that there are real people who had to experience the horrors of places like Nickel? That was what made this book extra hard to read. I kept remembering that it was based on a real place and that real people had to experience horrors like the book described. Did you enjoy reading this book, even though it was sad and hard to read in spots? Would you recommend it to others? If you liked this book and are interested to read or watch similar titles, check out this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check out anything on the list!

Before you go, check out the video below to find out more about the school that inspired the book. Do you blame Whitehead for not wanting to visit the site of the school? 

Thanks for following along this month! Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the book! Next month, we’re reading The Last Thing He Told Me. I hope you’ll join us again next month!

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Nickel Boys.

This section was different since there were chapters about Elwood after Nickel Academy. Did his life seem like the life you would have imagined he would have after he left the school? 

At the beginning of this section, Elwood is in the hospital ward, trying to recover from his beating. I couldn’t believe how long it took him to be able to rejoin his peers. I don’t know how he survived such a beating. Then, he’s assigned to community service with Turner and is able to leave campus for a few hours a week. I can’t imagine how freeing that was to him. It was really upsetting that during the community service, he had to unload things that were meant for the students at Nickel, but it seemed like he genuinely enjoyed being out in the world. 

The chapter about Griff, the boy who was the boxer, was really hard to read. I couldn’t believe that they killed him because he wouldn’t throw the fight. At first, it seemed like he didn’t throw the fight on purpose, but I really think he just got mixed up and had planned to lose. I really can’t believe that they killed him. It just seems to unbelievable that grown men could be so violent towards these young men, but obviously, it really did happen. It’s just so unsettling. 

Near the end of Part 2, the boys band together to give horse medicine to someone on staff. They decide on Earl, and surprisingly, they aren’t punished for what happens to him. I was just sick the whole time I was reading, afraid that the boys were going to be caught. I can’t believe they would take such a risk. They were lucky that Earl didn’t die. 

In Part 3, we learn that Elwood now lives in NYC and runs his own moving company. He seems really successful. I’m glad that he was able to move past his time at Nickel. Aren’t you curious, though, how he ended up leaving? It seems like there is more to the story. It was so hard to read the chapter where he describes how the one boy who tried to escape, Clayton, ended up being brought back to the school where he died. 

The section ends with Elwood knowing that his appeal isn’t going to happen and that the lawyer took advantage of his grandmother. Elwood says that he is going to “get rid of Nickel.” How do you think he is going to do that? Do you think that’s how he makes it out of the school? What do you think is going to happen in the last section? Are you interested to keep reading? 

Before you go, check out the video clip below in which the director of photography from the movie version talks about how they made the movie. Don’t you think that looks like a really innovative camera technique? 

Thanks for reading along with me this week! I hope you leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this chapter. Make sure to finish the book for next week!

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Nickel Boys.

How did the reading go for you this week? I couldn’t believe how quickly the story turned for Elwood. It was so incredibly sad that he had so much promise and excitement, and then it was all taken away by a completely innocent decision. 

What did you think about the book starting the way it did? It was definitely a really somber start. It’s crazy to imagine that all of that violence and all of the horrible things were happening at the school and no one knew. It seemed like an open secret that was incredibly heartbreaking. The fact that the story is based on a real place makes the story even more somber. You can read more about the real school that inspired the book here. 

What did you think of Elwood at the beginning of the book? He seemed like such a nice young man. I felt like I was rooting for him immediately. He definitely had a commitment to justice, to his own detriment, making sure kids didn’t steal from the shop he worked at and going to the protests. It was admirable that he stuck so firmly to what he believed, even when it meant that he got punished. 

I absolutely could not believe it when the car he was hitchhiking in ended up being a stolen car. That was so incredibly unfair that he was punished for being in it. I’m sure no one believed that he didn’t play a part in the theft. It was so hard to read about him heading to the Nickel Academy when he should have been going to college classes. It was all so sad. 

What were your first impressions of Nickel Academy? When Elwood was first getting a tour, it seemed like it might not be that bad of a place, but as soon as he went to his first class and it was a joke, I knew the school wasn’t what it seemed. At the end of this first section, Elwood tries to stand up to bullies but is then punished more harshly than the bullies are. I had a really hard time imagining the whipping machine that was used against Elwood in the “White House.” I can’t even imagine how someone came up with the idea to create something like that. And, I really can’t imagine how someone could use it against a young person. The leaders of the school were so heartless. It just made me sick to read about it. How do you think this punishment is going to affect Elwood? Will it change his commitment to justice? Do you think he will be able to work his way up in the school and will be able to leave? 

What do you think is going to happen in the next section? Do you think Elwood will be punished again? How is he going to navigate his way through the school? 

Before you go, check out this video of author, Colson Whitehead, talking about his books and his writing process. What was your favorite part of the video? 

We’ll read through chapter 12 for next week! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the book in the comments.