Featured image: A white mosque in Casablanca, Morocco / Photo by Rawpixel on Envato

When a robbery sets off a chain of events

by Carolyn Ray, JourneyWoman

“part glamorous travelogue, part slow-burn mystery.. and insanely funny”

Book Club Discussion Questions (Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 8 pm EDT)

We may not get through all of these, but here are some thoughts to start our discussion!

1. What has your experience with Morocco been prior to this book? Did the setting feel familiar from your own travels there?

2. Could you relate to the opening scene where the heroine loses her backpack? Have you ever felt uncomfortable in a city or place?

3. Do you think that travel is a means of getting away from oneself, or shedding or changing one’s identity a little bit? Have you ever wanted to or tried to re-invent yourself?

4. The story is written in the second person (“you”). Why do you think the author might have chosen this unusual approach?  How did this affect your reading of the book?  

5. What effect does the location of the novel, Casablanca, have on your impressions of the story? Would the story have worked in other locations?

6. The story’s protagonist has a guidebook, but wishes she had consulted it before planning her itinerary. Many travellers fall into one of two camps: those who delight in using guidebooks and those who abhor them.  In which camp do you fall?  And if you do use guidebooks, do you tend to read them when planning your trip, or only when you arrive at your destination?

7. The protagonist finds herself relying on long-forgotten schoolgirl French at times. How do you feel about travelling in a country where you don’t speak the language? Is it intimidating, or does it add to the adventure? Do you pick up any phrases before or during your travels?

 8. Clothing plays an important role in the novel. In some scenes, the protagonist dresses to mimic the famous actress. In others, her clothing affects how people treat her – from hotel staff to the people on Casablanca’s streets. Do you wear the same clothes when you travel as when you are at home? Does what you wear make a difference to your experience?

 9. There are times in the story when the main character feels unsafe – so unsafe, for example, that she leaves hotels without checking out.  How much do you think about safety when you plan your trips?  Have you ever changed major plans because you feel unsafe?

10. It may be hard to understand why the protagonist does the things she does in the novel such as taking someone else’s backpack and using that person’s credit card. Did your feelings about those actions change after learning about the birth of her niece and husband’s infidelity?

11. What is the nature of identity? Is it what people call you? What makes you “you”? Is it based on place – where you lived and live or the community in which you live or something else? How does acting play into identity?

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