The Fraud

The extraordinary first historical novel from bestselling author of White Teeth Zadie Smith

It is 1873. Mrs Eliza Touchet is the Scottish housekeeper - and cousin by marriage - of a once famous novelist, now in decline, William Ainsworth, with whom she has lived for thirty years.

Mrs Touchet is a woman of many interests: literature, justice, abolitionism, class, her cousin, his wives, this life and the next. But she is also sceptical. She suspects her cousin of having no talent; his successful friend, Mr Charles Dickens, of being a bully and a moralist; and England of being a land of facades, in which nothing is quite what it seems.

Andrew Bogle meanwhile grew up enslaved on the Hope Plantation, Jamaica. He knows every lump of sugar comes at a human cost. That the rich deceive the poor. And that people are more easily manipulated than they realise. When Bogle finds himself in London, star witness in a celebrated case of imposture, he knows his future depends on telling the right story.

The 'Tichborne Trial' captivates Mrs Touchet and all of England. Is Sir Roger Tichborne really who he says he is? Or is he a fraud? Mrs Touchet is a woman of the world. Mr Bogle is no fool. But in a world of hypocrisy and self-deception, deciding what is real proves a complicated task...

Based on real historical events, The Fraud is a dazzling novel about truth and fiction, Jamaica and Britain, fraudulence and authenticity, and the mystery of 'other people.'

These book club questions were prepared by Bookclubs staff.

Book club questions for The Fraud by Zadie Smith

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

The novel explores the concept of fraudulence in many ways. Which character did you think was the biggest "fraud" and why? What did their story reveal about the human condition?

Why do you think Smith chose to center the novel around the historical Tichborne case? What parallels does she draw between the case and broader Victorian attitudes?

We see several Victorian era novelists portrayed as rather ridiculous or even untalented. What point do you think Smith is trying to make by satirizing famous writers like Dickens and Thackeray?

How does The Fraud explore the notion of "truth"? What competing ideas about truth emerge between the different characters?

Discuss the different impacts of respectability, prejudice and the rigid class system on characters like Eliza Touchet and Andrew Bogle. How does this inform their worldviews?

What did you make of Sarah Ainsworth's staunch defense of the Claimant? What does her support reveal about Victorian society and enduring attitudes about social class?

The novel shows the ways Eliza subtly undermines gender constraints while maintaining social propriety. Analyze the complexity of her position.

When Bogle shares stories of his father's enslavement, how does Smith's writing style shift? What's the impact of scenes told from Bogle's point of view?

Explore the theme of storytelling itself within the novel. Why is Eliza so skeptical of novelists? What point is Smith making about fiction and who is entitled to tell a story?

The Fraud touches on issues like colonialism, slavery and institutional prejudice that still resonate today. What parallels did you notice between the Victorian era and modern society?

Analyze Smith's choice to include so many real historical figures and events. How does factual history interact with fictional narrative?

Discuss your reactions to the novel's ending. Do you think Eliza is on the cusp of personal change, or will she remain limited by societal constraints and her own blindspots?

The novel has a non-linear structure with shifting perspectives and timelines. Did you find this effective? What was the impact on your reading experience?

If you've read Zadie Smith's other novels, how does The Fraud compare in terms of style, characters and themes? Which of her books is your favorite and why?

The Fraud Book Club Questions PDF

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