The Undercurrent

The field is a key yet largely mysterious setting in the book, one that holds different meanings for different characters. Some see it as a safe haven. Others see it as a place of pain or somewhere they are not welcome. Explore the unique ways each character views the field, from Bee to Gus and Leo, to Mary and Diana, and even Deecie.

Diana becomes obsessed with her research of the arktoi. How does the mythology around the arktoi relate to the themes of girlhood, coming of age, and the transition into womanhood in this book?

Mary and Diana are two very different mothers. As a working mother, Diana is largely away from home, which places a certain distance between her and Leo. At the same time, Mary can be aloof and distant in her own way with Bee and Gus, even while she stays at home with them. Compare the ways in which Mary and Diana’s different parenting techniques and passions affect those around them and themselves.

Why do you think Bee becomes so obsessed with the disappearance and mystery of Deecie Jeffries? What is Bee searching for in herself through this obsession?

By the end of The Undercurrent, a dark and upsetting family secret comes to light. How do you think the relationships in the family would have changed if this secret had come out sooner?

The book begins with Bee in the midst of new motherhood. In what ways did the girls and women in Bee’s life affect how she views motherhood? Think of Deecie. Think of Mary’s miscarriage and the fact that Bee names her own daughter after her unborn sister. Is Bee more similar to her own mother or to Diana?

Mary’s wedding dishes are mentioned several times in the book, a symbol of her family and their stability. As more and more dishes break, the family itself seems to further fall apart as well. What items symbolize your family or are unique to your family/home? What would it mean to lose those items?

Why does Bee’s crush on Leo follow her into her adulthood? What does Leo represent to Bee?

Mary is in a town play and pours herself into preparing for that role. Compare Mary’s passion to Diana’s work. Compare it to Bee’s artist ambitions. Think about how different all three of these women are and how their interests emerge in different ways. What does this tell you about the way society views women and their individual wants?

What do you make of the website Bee puts together to create living portraits of missing girls? Why do people feel the need to share their memories of the people they’ve lost with strangers online? Does the act of witnessing another’s memory make these girls feel more alive or more real?

When Bee returns to see her mother, it is clear that the perfect domesticity within which she was raised no longer exists. Does Bee’s mother seem happier, freer, or trapped? What caused her to stop keeping up domestic appearances?

Consider the scene when Mary and Diana burn artifacts in the field. Why do they do this? What do you make of Diana’s instructions to Mary after the fact? Why do you think Mary chooses a different solution?

Girlhood and loss of innocence are both prominent themesthroughout the novel—consider the ways they are explored as it relates to Deecie and Bee. When does Bee “lose her innocence?” Does it occur several times throughout the novel, or is there one scene in particular that stands out to you?

How does Gus and Leo’s boyhood compare to Bee’s girlhood? Consider the gender roles at play throughout the novel. Why are they presumed to be dangerous, even as children? How does this relate to their relationship to masculinity? Consider their father figures and the ways in which these role models inform their behaviors throughout the course of the novel.

At the end of the novel, the truth of what happened to Deecie is revealed. How did this make you feel? What do you think this suggests about “lost girls”? Do her final moments preserve her innocence? Explain why or why not.