1. Where’d You Go, Bernadette is told
from the point of view of a daughter trying to find her missing mother.
Why do you think the author chose to tell the story from Bee’s
perspective? What light does it shed on the bond between Bernadette and
Bee?
2. What are your thoughts on Bernadette’s character? Has she become
unhinged or has she always been a little crazy? What, if anything, do
you think sent her over the edge? Have you ever had a moment in your own
life that utterly changed you, or made you call into question your own
sanity?
3. When Bernadette relocates from Los Angeles to Seattle, she must cope
with being a transplant in a new city. Have you ever moved, or even
stayed put but switched jobs, and had to adjust to an entirely different
culture? What was it like?
4. The idea of going to Antarctica becomes too
much for an already frazzled Bernadette to bear, but the trip itself,
surprisingly, turns out to be exactly what she needs to get back on
track. How do other characters in the novel experience their own
breakthroughs? Which character is most transformed?
5. How are Audrey Griffin and Bernadette Fox more alike than they
realize?
6. Bernadette often behaves as if she is an outsider. Do you think she
is? If so, do you think her feelings of being an outsider are
self-imposed, or is she truly different from the other members of her
community? Do you ever feel like an outsider?
7. The book has a very playful structure. Do you think it works? Why do
you think the author chose it rather than a more straightforward,
traditional structure? Think about other books with unusual structures
and how their formats influenced your reading experience.
8. What do you think of Bernadette and Elgie’s marriage? Is it
dysfunctional? Is there real love there? How has their marriage changed
over time? Think about romantic relationships you’ve been in that have
evolved, positively or negatively, and why.
9. Where’d You Go, Bernadette is, at its core, a story about a
woman who disappears, both literally and figuratively. Were you able to
relate to the book? How and why? Do you feel Bernadette’s disappearance
was unique, or do all women, in a sense, disappear into motherhood and
marriage?