WellRead's September 2024 selection was Girls by Kirsty Capes. Girls explores the lives of Mattie and Nora, the daughters of prolific artist Ingrid Olssen, in the aftermath of her death. As they set out to preserve their mother’s legacy, they grapple with their past, what their future holds and how much they can trust the people around them. 

Use these discussion questions to engage with the book further, whether ina book club with friends, or just on your own as you digest the story. 

Reading questions for Girls by Kirsty Capes:

• Which sister – Mattie or Nora – did you find yourself empathising with the most? Both of them experienced childhood differently but neither had positive experiences growing up in their mother’s shadow.
  
  
• The interviews and excerpts add a different layer to the novel – how did they shift your perspective throughout the story? 
  
  
• Ingrid is at the centre of Girls, but she doesn’t get a chance to tell her part of the story. How has that impacted your opinion of her and what do you think she was trying to say through the only direct communication we get from her – her art?
  
  
• We’re fascinated by the resurgence of novels focused on sisters and the way our siblings are those who understand the nuances of our past, and share many of our experiences, but they’re also the people best equipped to hurt us with a word, look or act. What did their relationship reveal to you about your own sibling relationships?
  
  
• How did you feel about the ending? Did you feel it was leading there the whole time, or were you taken by surprise?

Please note, these questions were written and distributed in September, 2024.