Discussions Questions:
1. What did you think of the main character Cassandra Bowden (Cassie)? Did you like her? Why and why not?
2. Did your like or dislike of Cassie change as the book progressed?
3. Do you think Cassie was suited to her job as a flight attendant? What aspect of her personality do you think was suited to her job? Did you think the author succeeded in depicting the life of a flight attendant?
4. How did you find the pace of the book? Did you find the book suspenseful? Were you on edge?
5. Were you shocked or surprised by anything in the book?
6. It’s no secret that Cassie liked to drink. On page 4-5, she talks about the difference between pass-out drunk and black-out drunk.
“pass-out drunk was more humiliating when it happened: she was the woman with her face half buried in the throw pillows on the couch, oblivious to the party moving on without her. Black-out drunk was more embarrassing the next morning when she woke up in strange beds with strange men, and not a clue how she had gotten there.”
How do you feel about the recent rise in female characters who alcoholics in mystery or thriller books? Does this plot device work in The Flight Attendant?
7. What is Cassie hiding from when she is drinking? What is the root cause of the excessive drinking?
8. The story is told in Cassie’s and Elena’s viewpoint. Did you like the way it was structured? How do you feel about the two character’s point of view? Did it augment your reading enjoyment?
9. Cassie made lots of bad choices in her life but in the end it worked out for her. However, it did not work out well for Elena. How do you feel about Cassie’s bad decisions and its results, the consequences? Does fate have any play?
10. Why do you think Cassie has such a different lifestyle compared to her sister Rosemary?
11. What did you think of the ending? Did you find it satisfactory? Did you enjoy the twists?
12. “Remember that person you wanted to be? There’s still time.” That was the quote from the epilogue.
What did you imagine Cassie would end up doing? Did it surprise you what Cassie ended up doing? What factors come into play for you to become that person you wanted to be?
13. Have you read any other of Chris Bohjalian’s books? If not, would you read them after reading The Flight Attendant?
14. Who would you recommend The Flight Attendant to after reading it?
Enhance Your Book Club:
Check out Summary of The Flight Attendant for conversation starters and a deeper look into the book.