This readers group guide for Seeking Sarah includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Introduction

Brooke Green has been motherless since she was seven years old. Growing up with her loving father, a piece of Brooke had always felt missing, lost long ago on the day of her mother’s death. Now, in her midthirties, Brooke finds herself drowning in grief after her father succumbs to a stroke. But in the wake of losing a parent, Brooke shockingly regains another when she learns a startling truth that changes her life forever: her mother, Sarah, is very much alive. At her father’s funeral, Brooke’s grandmother reveals that Sarah had walked out on her family amid claims that she wasn’t fit for motherhood; her father lied about Sarah’s death in an attempt to protect Brooke. In search of more details, Brooke hires a PI to track Sarah down and discovers that her mother is now working as an elementary school principal in Atlanta, and happily raising another daughter. Stunned, Brooke is torn between her desire for answers and her thirst for revenge against the mother who abandoned her. Bestselling author ReShonda Tate Billingsley delves into the complicated, emotional, and often painful mother-daughter bond in her gripping novel Seeking Sarah.

Topics and Questions for Discussion

1. When we first meet Brooke, we learn that she has already lost both a mother and a fiancé, leaving her convinced that, when it comes to love, “forever didn’t exist” (p. 2). Discuss the character of Brooke in these early scenes: a woman who’s both emotionally hardened and emotionally vulnerable. Do you relate to her, and in what way?

2. Brooke wears two rings around her neck: her mother’s wedding ring, and her engagement ring from Jared. What symbols or mementos do you wear, carry with you, or display in your home that represent people you love?

3. Brooke’s flashbacks consistently return her to emotionally painful moments featuring her mother—those instances of turmoil seem to be her most distilled memories. Why do you think these are the memories that begin resurfacing for Brooke? On a narrative level, how do these scenes hint at the reasons behind Sarah’s decision to flee?

4. Brooke struggles to wrap her mind around the truth about her mother, thinking: “I had heard stories of back in the day, fathers who went to the store for bread and never returned. But this, a mother abandoning a child? That was insane. Mothers don’t abandon their children” (p. 47). In what way would this story be different if it were a father-daughter story rather than a mother-daughter story? Why does a mother’s abandonment cut so much deeper?

5. One of the tensest scenes from the first act of the novel is Brooke’s dinner with Trent, when she tells him about the private investigator (and the accompanying price tag). Trent is obviously affected by this decision. What was your reaction to this scene? Do you think his reaction was justified? Explain your reasoning.

6. When Brooke finds out her mother’s name and location, what did you anticipate would happen next? What action did you envision her taking? What action would you have taken if you were Brooke, armed with that information?

7. Brooke is heartbroken upon realizing that, in her words, “the man I loved was the biggest obstacle to reuniting with my mother” (p. 100). Do you sympathize with Trent’s refusal to support Brooke’s move to Atlanta? Why or why not?

8. Brooke learns that Sarah Ford now works as an elementary school principal—does that job title surprise you?

9. Identify and discuss the moment (or moments) when Brooke’s desire to get to know her mother transforms into a thirst for revenge instead. Do you relate to that delicate balance between sadness and anger that Brooke is grappling with?

10. As Brooke spends more time in Atlanta, she fully inhabits three different identities: Mona, Meredith, and Brooke. As tension mounts, Brooke thinks, “I felt like I was swimming in a cesspool of lies” (p. 182). Do these lies create a protective shield that empowers Brooke to take bold action, or is she losing her “true self” in this web of lies?

11. Describe your reaction to Brooke’s decision to seduce her mother’s husband. In your opinion, does she take her “revenge mission” too far?

12. On page 242, Nina’s assistant, Amiya, comments, “Revenge is a confession of pain.” Even though Amiya is trying to talk sense into her boss, the statement resonates with Brooke. How could these wise words reframe the way you view Brooke’s actions against her mother?

13. Before the novel’s dramatic climax, was there a moment when you sensed that Alex could be dangerous? If so, describe the scene or interaction that first revealed another side of this troubled character.

14. Increasingly complicated dynamics play out among Brooke, Sarah, Anthony, Alex, and Trent in this novel, especially in the final chapters. Ultimately, who do you see as the novel’s “villain,” if anyone?

15. The novel ends on a note of hope, as Brooke is embarking on her own motherhood journey. How do you think the experiences of the novel will shape Brooke and inform her decisions as a mother?

16. In her “Note from the Author,” ReShonda Tate Billingsley explains that “at its core, Seeking Sarah is a story about finding something you so desperately crave, and losing yourself in the process” (p. 276). In what way does Brooke lose herself, and, in your opinion, does she ultimately find herself again?

Enhance Your Book Club

1. This novel predominantly takes place in Atlanta, Georgia. In honor of the book’s setting, serve up cocktails that capture the flavor of the Peach State, such as peach sangria or a peach Bellini. You can make a peach Bellini by simply combining frozen peaches with your preferred sparkling white wine, plus a splash of peach schnapps and some ice. Blend your concoction before serving!

2. Tyler Perry’s 2007 film Daddy’s Little Girls explores similar themes to those in Seeking Sarah. Host a screening of the movie, which stars Idris Elba and Gabrielle Union, before your book club meeting. Discuss how the depiction of the mother in this film compares with ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s complicated take on motherhood.

3. Brooke revisits the pain of growing up motherless by reading old letters that she wrote to Sarah, describing the struggles of her adolescence. Ask each member of your book club to bring an old letter, journal, diary entry, or even social media post to your discussion. Share these snapshots of your youth—whether painful or humorous—and discuss how your mother (or a mother figure) helped you navigate the issue or situation in question.

4. The first book that Alex recommends to Brooke is Child of God by Lolita Files, which tells the story of a Southern family torn apart by the secrets it struggles to keep. Read this novel in conjunction with Seeking Sarah, and compare and contrast the complex family dynamics portrayed in both books.

• Publisher: Gallery Books (August 15, 2017)
• Length: 304 pages
• ISBN13: 9781501156649