1. How much did you know about Palmyra before picking it up? What surprised you the most about the novel?

2. What do you think of the book’s cover? How well does it convey what the book is about?

3. Did you find the author’s writing style easy or hard to read? Why? How long did it take you to get into Palmyra? Was the ending satisfying?

4. How successful was the author in transporting you to a different time and place?

5. Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters that you disliked? Why?

6. Did any part of this book strike a particular emotion in you? If so, which part(s) and what emotions?

7. Did you question any part of the plot or aspects of the characters? If so, which?

8. What do you think were the central themes of the book? How well did the author explore them?

9. If you could hear this same story from another person’s point of view, who would you choose?

10. Did the book change your opinion about anything, or did you learn something new? If so, what?

11. This novel includes betrayal and deception. Whose actions—or inactions—do you think were the most harmful, and why?

12. What do you think of the book’s title? How does it relate to the book’s contents? What other title might you choose?

13. Rate this book on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Why did you give the book the rating you did? Did any part of this book club discussion change your rating from what it would have been directly after finishing the book?