Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li

1. Brainstorm some adjectives you would use to describe Vivian, Lucille, Rennie, Madeline, Elaine, and Nora. What traits do they have in common? What aspects of their identity create the biggest rifts between then?
2. Why do you think Li chose to begin the story with Nora's character?
3. How are the relationships between the mother-and-daughter pairings in the novel similar and different?
4. Did you enjoy the chapters from the past more, or the chapters from the present day? How does Li build tension within and between the two timelines?
5. Consider how each character interacts with their cultural and class identity. In what ways are these identities present in the narrative? How do they affect characters like Elaine, Ada, and Vivian differently?
6. During Rennie's last visit to the house while her mother was alive, Vivian says to her, "I built this up. I endured more than you can imagine. And now you and your sister are just circling me. Like vultures" (page 12). Why does Vivian feel resentment toward her daughters? How is that emotion in conversation with bigger themes in the novel?
7. What were your favorite moments of the budding romances between Ada and Sophie and Madeline and Nora?
8. How does Li depict Richard's increasingly abusive behaviors? Was there a moment early on where you suspected that he was a violent, controlling person?
9. Li reveals Lucille's hidden desires and vulnerabilities as the novel progresses. What do you think about the choices Lucille makes throughout the novel? Did you have more sympathy for her by the book's end?
10. What scenes frightened or disturbed you the most? How does Li create an atmosphere of dread—and how does she curate the house's haunting for each character?
11. What do you think happens to Madeline and Nora after the book ends?'
12. Ultimately, what does the house represent?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Avid Reader Press. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.