Paper Ghosts

The truth about Carl and the protagonist behind the wheel unfolds with every mile. Did you find yourself rooting for one or the other or both?

In the age of Facebook, Instagram, and the smartphone camera, how much do you think photos both lie and tell the truth about us? Are photographs becoming more important than ever in documenting our culture or are they a facade?

Do you have a favorite photograph—from a book, a newspaper, or your own photo album—that is an image stamped in your mind forever? What is the quality that moves a photograph from just a picture to something artistic and timeless?

Did you personally relate to any of the issues raised about dementia?

Do you have a different opinion about the explosive standoff between the Branch Davidians and the government after reading this book?

Julia likes to inject humor into her novels despite their grim subject matter. She likes the comic relief—even for herself as she writes—and thinks that it reflects real life. Do you agree?

Have you seen or heard of Marfa’s Mystery Lights and do you believe they are something otherworldly?

Have you visited any of the other places in Paper Ghosts’ creepy Texas road trip? If not, after reading this book, where would you want to visit?

Do you agree with the quote from Dostoyevsky: “Bad people are to be found everywhere, but even among the worst there may be something good?” If so, who are some real-life examples, dead or alive?

Along the same lines: How did you feel about Carl in the end? Are you still deciding?