Get ready to explore the engrossing novel Tell Me Everything with your book club. This fifth installment of the Amgash series craftily unravels friendships and love, both old and new, of the community of Crosby, Maine. Our Tell Me Everything book club questions will cover every aspect of the novel and help your group delve into the themes of connections, the impact of the past, and the search for meaning in everyday life.
This Tell Me Everything discussion guide will help lead your group’s discussion with a synopsis and some selected reviews from previous readers, all of which can provide context for your book club discussion. And if you loved it, we’ve also got a few suggestions for what to read next.
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Tell Me Everything Synopsis
(We always chose to provide the publisher synopsis because we feel that it’s worthwhile to discuss whether the official book description actually squared with your experience of the book.)
Tell Me Everything, Elizabeth Strout
With her remarkable insight into the human condition and silences that contain multitudes, Elizabeth Strout returns to the town of Crosby, Maine, and to her beloved cast of characters—Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge, Bob Burgess, and more—as they deal with a shocking crime in their midst, fall in love and yet choose to be apart, and grapple with the question, as Lucy Barton puts it, “What does anyone’s life mean?”
It’s autumn in Maine, and the town lawyer Bob Burgess has become enmeshed in an unfolding murder investigation, defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother. He has also fallen into a deep and abiding friendship with the acclaimed writer Lucy Barton, who lives down the road in a house by the sea with her ex-husband, William. Together, Lucy and Bob go on walks and talk about their lives, their fears and regrets, and what might have been. Lucy, meanwhile, is finally introduced to the iconic Olive Kitteridge, now living in a retirement community on the edge of town. They spend afternoons together in Olive’s apartment, telling each other stories. Stories about people they have known—“unrecorded lives,” Olive calls them—reanimating them, and, in the process, imbuing their lives with meaning.
10 Tell Me Everything Book Club Questions
These questions have been tailored to this book’s specific reading experience, but if you want more ideas, we also have an article with 101 generic book club questions.
- In the novel, the ebb and flow of connection is a constant theme throughout the story. The characters’ connections often drift apart and then come back together. Can true connections be sustained over time, or is the nature of relationships to ebb and flow?
- “Bob has a big heart, but he does not know that about himself; like many of us, he does not know himself as well as he assumes to, and he would never believe he had anything worthy in his life to document. But he does; we all do.”
The theme of perspective in storytelling reveals that different viewpoints can lead to different truths. Characters often remember past events differently. Do you think our memories are reliable storytellers, or are they shaped by emotions and personal growth?
- How might the concept of ghosts in the marriage challenge characters like Lucy and Olive to confront or solve issues from their pasts that still impact their present relationships?
- The motif of the “sin eater” suggests certain characters absorb others’ burdens. Should individuals feel responsible for carrying guilt and sins of those they care about, or is it vital to maintain emotional boundaries?
- “We might want to take a moment to wonder who this Gloria Beach woman was. But the full story of Gloria Beach remains shrouded in mystery. There are some ‘facts’ as she recorded them in a journal—in two notebooks she kept at various points in her life, a journal that only her son Matthew had access to.”
Throughout the novel, Gloria Beach’s past shapes her family’s present. How do her children understand their mother’s story differently? Do you think their judgement of her reflects their own struggles? Do you think reconciliation with a parent’s past can be truly achieved?
- Explore the role of memory and trauma in the novel. How do different character’s recollections and past experiences shape their identities and influence their actions?
- Considering Lucy Barton’s unique perspective on the power of storytelling. How might her appreciation for the “unrecorded lives” of others help alter misunderstandings or judgements about people in the community?
- Strout considers storytelling from a variety of angles in the novel. The book not only explores the importance of perspectives but also considers where a story begins and ends. How does it connect to the story’s broader themes?
- Helen’s death leaves both Jim and Bob grief stricken. How does this grief manifest differently in the various characters of the novel when comparing the differences?
- The novel involves a murder mystery. How does the murder plot deepen the novel’s meaning and exploration of its key themes, particularly the impact of the past on the present?
Selected Reviews for Tell Me Everything
“This one was a slight disappointment for me. I was expecting more of a focused story about the trial based on the jacket cover. Instead, it felt like more of the same, an extension of the previous four, with the trial playing a very small role in the plot. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised, given the other books. This is, after all, Elizabeth Strout and not Jodi Picoult. At least it feels like the series is concluded. Even if another book came out, I think I’d had my fill of these characters.”
“No one writes like Elizabeth Strout, it always feels like coming home when I read another of her books, and I have read them all. Here we revisit many of her previous characters, most notably Bob Burgess, Lucy Barton and of course Olive Kitteridge, along with a cast of new additions. But the writing flows and I really did not want the book ever to end, the lovely setting in Maine was as important of any of the characters. Having visited there many times, it felt like going home for me. 5 stars.”
“[…] (this) was a disappointment for me. I went into this book not knowing what to expect, but seeing it is highly acclaimed. While the fall setting in Maine was beautifully described and Bob Burgess had some compelling moments, the story felt more like eavesdropping on small-town gossip than reading a cohesive narrative. I couldn’t figure out what the point of the book was… and although Olive Kitteridge’s moments of vulnerability were intriguing, they weren’t enough to keep me interested.”
“4 solid stars. I really did enjoy this one & seeing Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge & Bob Burgess all together in one book. But, unless you’ve read all the ones that came before I would really not recommend to other readers as I just don’t think it would make any sense. There’s a lot of necessary backstory required. Plus there’s a ton of side characters, too many, honestly…”
What to Read After Tell Me Everything
If you’re keen for more small town life with a side of crime, try the following: Small Things Like These (Claire Keegan), All the Colors of the Dark (Chris Whitaker), Homecoming (Kate Morton).
Each of the above guides has a non-spoiler synopsis toward the top of the article with a link to pricing and reviews on Amazon.
Here One Moment, Liane Moriarty
This contemporary, mystery thriller about a psychic predicting everyone’s death on a flight to Sydney. A story about free will and destiny, grief and love, and the struggle to maintain certainty and control towards mortality.
The Night We Lost Him, Laura Dave
Full of mystery and suspense to examine familial relationships and complex family histories. Centered around the mysterious death of Liam, a property mogul with a complex past, two siblings investigate and try to solve their father’s death. A novel centered around loss and family dynamics, including family trauma and dysfunction.
The People We Keep, Allison Larkin
The story follows a girl named April who had a neglectful childhood. April shows expression through her music, where she can express her feelings and explore past traumas. A novel about child neglect and abandonment, resilience, and self-acceptance.
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