The Life She Was Given

In the additional Q&A portion of the novel, Wiseman explains that she is passionate about the humane treatment of animals. Compare the novel’s two for-profit animal enterprises: the circus and the breeding farm. What do these uses of animals say about the people involved in them and Wiseman’s views on animals?

How does the novel portray people with authority or power over others? Is there anything sympathetic about these characters? Why or why not?

Consider the role of setting in the novel. How do the circus and Blackwood Manor characterize their inhabitants? How does our understanding of either setting change throughout the novel?

Research a historical aspect of the novel: 1930s circuses, sideshows as entertainment, the treatment of people with disabilities, or horse breeding and racing. How does the novel use these historical realities to promote the novel’s thematic interests?

Discuss the role of faith in the novel. How do the characters approach religious belief, and what does their practice of religion say about them?

How does the novel portray generational trauma? What legacy do its various parents leave for their children?

The mother-daughter relationship is an important one in the novel. How do the relationships between the mother-daughter pairs differ, and how are they similar? Consider the animals within your exploration of mother-daughter pairs.

This novel uses many elements of the Gothic literature genre. Research this genre’s tropes and examine how they are used and subverted here.