"Our Wives Under the Sea" by Julia Armfield

Themes: Uncertainty; Paranoia; Mundanity; Romance; Desire; Light/Dark; Memory; Religion; Eyes/Sight

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think the true purpose of Leah's mission was?

2. Who or what do you think is the voice that Jelka and Leah hear?

3. Are the events of this book supernatural, religious, or scientific? How do those three domains intersect and diverge in this novel?

4. In what ways does form follow function in this novel? How does the switching back and forth in time change the way the reader experiences the book?

5. Is this a romance? A love story? Are those different things to you?

6. This novel explores the progressive grief of losing someone while they're still there. How do Miri's experiences of losing her mother and of losing Leah speak to each other?

7. Throughout the book, Leah reflects on her childhood and specifically references memories with her father. What role does he play in this story? How does Leah’s relationship with her father compare to Miri’s relationship with her mother? 

8. Armfield includes numerous mundane descriptions of love. What do these descriptions do for the story? How do these moments work with the scientific horror elements of the story?