The Whisper Man

Rebecca claims that Tom and Jake are too similar. Do you think this is true? Why or why not? How do their similarities lead to conflict between them?

How culpable is Francis for his actions? How do we consider which parts of generational trauma are or aren’t excusable, and what does the novel say about this?

To what extent is The Whisper Man a ghost story? Do ghosts need to irrefutably exist in a piece of fiction for it to be a ghost story? Why or why not?

How does Norman Collins’s fascination with serial killers differ from your interest in the story? To what extent does the story make you feel culpable in your enjoyment of it?

How do the parallels between fathers and sons matter to the Kennedy family’s story? Do they embrace their similarities by the end, and if so, how does that change them?

How do Tom, Jake, and Pete’s dreams matter to them, and how does the end of the story resolve the anxieties they represent?

What does the novel say about inheritance—whether genetic or behavioral—between fathers and sons?

How does Jake and Tom’s shared grief drive the plot forward?