The Housemaid

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• The Housemaid is a domestic psychological thriller, with numerous twists and turns throughout the plot. Were you able to foretell or predict any of the plot twists in the book? If you were, what elements clued you in to what was happening? If you weren’t, how do you think McFadden was successfully able to keep surprising you as a reader?
• What are some of the feelings that came up for you as you read the novel? Which parts of the story were most suspenseful, and why?
• What other books in this specific sub-genre have you encountered, and how does The Housemaid stack up against them? Which genre conventions does this novel utilize or subvert in a unique way?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• None of the characters in the novel are morally perfect—each one carries significant flaws, some even pathologically so. Which character do you most connect or sympathize with, and why?
• Ideas of discipline, perfection, and power are closely interlinked in the novel: Evelyn, in her role as a parent, demands perfection from her son through cruel power play masquerading as discipline, and this has a ripple effect on Andrew, Nina, and Millie’s lives.