Book Club Discussion Questions (from www.affirmpress.com.au/the-strays)
1. The prologue and opening chapter of The Strays establish the parallel perspectives of Lily
the adult and Lily the child. How do you think these dual perspectives interact with one
another or inform the novel as a whole?
2. The characters in The Strays try to redefine the idea of family. Do you think they succeed
in this, or is blood ultimately the strongest tie in the novel?
3. Do you think of Lily as a reliable narrator? How do you think Lily views her own past? Is
this different from the way you view it as a reader?
4. The Strays is told from what might be considered an outsider perspective. What other
novels have you read that make use of this perspective? What does this perspective bring to these
novels?
5. Lily says near the end of the novel that she has chosen an ordinary life. What do you think
of the choices Lily has made throughout the novel?
6. Who, if anyone, do you think bears the responsibility for what happens to the young
women in this novel?
7. What questions does the novel raise in terms of the relationships between art, gender and
social norms? How have times changed since the era in which the novel is set?
8. Do you think great art is important enough to justify the impact it might have on those
who suffer because of it?
9. Many of the characters in The Strays have the urge to be extraordinary in some way. What
are some of the ways in which they try to achieve this?
10. What do you think is the significance of setting in The Strays? What does the garden
represent for Lily?