The Night We Lost Him

What broader argument might this novel be making about the role of wealth? How does wealth impact Liam and his family, and how do his children define themselves both within Liam’s framework of financial success and outside of it?

Research Laura Dave’s other novels. What parallels can you find between this text and her other books? What kinds of themes, narratives, symbols, and motifs typify Dave’s work, and how do they speak to her interests as a writer?

Discuss Cory/Grace’s relationship with Liam. Why might they have chosen not to marry, and what evidence from the text supports this? How do her consistent limitations on their relationship contribute to the novel’s themes?