Discussion Questions:
1. Have you heard of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT; a pressurized oxygen chamber) for curing autism and infertility before you read this book?
2. Who did you think started the fire at the beginning of the book? Did you think it was Elizabeth Ward who started the fire that killed her 8 year old autistic child? Did your opinion change over the course of the book about who started it?
3. What did you think of the mix in the genre? Did the courtroom drama, murder mystery, thriller mix work for you? Was it plot based or character driven?
4. Was there a quote or passage that stood out to you?
5. There were many themes in the book such as immigration, autism, parenting, and sexual assault to name a few. What theme/themes was prominent for you?
6. Which character did you relate to? Why? What was it about them that you connected with?
7. Janine Cho and Matt Thompson had an interracial marriage. The book highlights some of Matt’s antagonism towards his in-laws. Do you think his perception of the prejudices and intolerances from the Chos are valid? Do you think that conflict and misunderstanding is an integral component of the cultural and generational gap?
8. What did you think of the parent child relationship in the book? How does Mary and Young relationship differ from Mary and Pak? What about Henry and Elizabeth?
9. On page 32, the protesters had signs that said “I’M A CHILD, NOT A LAB RAT!, LOVE ME, ACCEPT ME, DON’T POISON ME” and “QUACK MEDICINE= CHILD ABUSE.” What are your thoughts on the signs? Do you think it’s the parent’s right to do what they think best for their child or do you think it’s child abuse?
10. The reality of taking care of a child on the spectrum varies with each of the mothers. Were you surprised by how difficult it was for each of the mothers? In what ways do they support each other?
11. At the end of the book we discover who started the fire and killed two people. Were you surprised by who it was? Did you think that the sentencing was appropriate? Was everyone held accountable?
12. Young and Pak have different ideas about what is best for their family and how far they will go to protect their child, Mary. What do you think of Pak and his willingness to lie to protect his family? What about Young? Are their values aligned?
13. What did you think of the ending? Was it what you expected? Did you wish it was different?
14. Did you enjoy this book? What was your take-away from it? Who would you recommend it to?
Enhance Your Book Club:
Check out Study Guide: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim, for plot summary, chapter summary and analysis, themes, characters, quotes and topics of discussions!
Check out the video of Angie Kim in conversation with her publisher and literary agent!