The Girl Next Door

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Discussion Guide

1. Violet and Eve become close friends over the course of the book. In fact, Violet is one of Eve’s only friends in New York. What do you think Violet and Eve are looking for in each other? How does their friendship develop into more of a mother-daughter relationship? What do they share in common besides their British roots?

2. Until motivated, independent Emily comes along, Jackson is aimless and not particularly concerned that his life is going nowhere. Can Emily be credited for the changes that he makes? Who else in this book is saved by someone they love, or motivated to be someone better?

3. When we first meet her, Charlotte is at a point in her life when she fantasizes about what she wants, but never acts upon it. How does her fantasy of her relationship with the doorman force her back into reality? Does she ultimately grow up?

4. Eve’s solution to her loneliness (and to Ed’s new workaholic schedule) is to have a baby. How does she think having a baby will change her relationship with her husband and make her happier? Are her expectations met? Discuss whether you think Eve made this life-changing decision for the right reasons.

5. The Kramers’ and the Schulmans’ marriages begin to fall apart around the same time. How does each couple deal with their marital problems differently, both in public and in private? Why do you think the Kramers pulled through, even though they appeared to be worse off?

6. In spite of living in such close quarters, the residents of the building are very private, interacting only in the elevators and the halls and taking great pains to mask their problems. David Schulman’s secrets tear his marriage apart, and the Kramers’ secrets nearly do the same. Emily hides from Jackson after the blackout misunderstanding. How do these secrets, although often meant to be protective, end up hurting the characters?

7. At the end of the book, Eve and Ed fly back to London. What will time at home give them that New York can’t? Do you think they will still be living in New York in five years? Where will the other characters be in five years? Still in New York, or not?

8. Elizabeth Noble chooses a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote for the book’s epigraph: “Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail…” Now that you’ve finished reading the book, discuss the relevance of this quotation for the main characters. Who is forging a new trail and why is it so important to do so in life?

9. What significance do you think the title The Girl Next Door holds? Who do you think the title refers to? What did you think the title meant when you first picked up the book and how did reading the book change the title’s meaning for you?

10. New York is a powerful place for many people. How does each character connect with the city? How are they drawn into it? Do you have a relationship with New York? Even if you’ve never been there, do you feel you know it through books and movies?