Half-Truths

These discussion questions are taken from the Reader's Guide provided by Monarch Educational Services and accessed from the author's website.

Book club questions for Half-Truths by Carol Baldwin

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

Why do you think Katie wants to be a journalist? What makes her different from her peers?

How does the setting of 1950s North Carolina influence the story's conflicts?

What role does Katie’s steno pad play in the story? How does it help her make sense of the world?

Discuss the complicated relationship between Katie and her Papaw. How do their values differ?

What do you think the title "Half-Truths" means? Where do you see characters hiding, telling, or discovering truths?

In what ways is the relationship between Katie and Lillian more significant than Katie's earlier friendship with Mildred?

How does Katie grow as she begins to understand Lillian’s story—and her family’s role in it?

What do you learn about courage from Katie? From Mr. Carter? From Daddy? From Lillian?

How does Katie wrestle with her identity, family loyalty, and her dream of becoming a writer?

What historical realities does this novel help you understand more clearly?

Click here for a printable PDF of the Half-Truths discussion questions