Evening Book Club: Book Club
Contact Information
For more information regarding the Evening Book Club, please contact: Jaclyn Gomez at jgomez@rcls.org
Meeting Schedule
Next Meeting:
September 22, 2025 at 7:00pm
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
1) When you first read that Owen went missing, what did you think happened?
2) Owen’s note to Hannah says—protect her. We know he’s talking about Bailey and protecting her from the past. Why didn’t Owen write more to Hannah? Do you believe he expected her to eventually figure out his past?
3) On that same note, why did Owen conceal his past to both Hannah and Bailey? How would you react if your spouse deceived you about the central details of their life?
4) Why was Bailey so cold to Hannah in the beginning? When did she began to warm up to her?
5) Hannah’s parents pretty much deserted her and she was raised by her grandfather. So she was not used to being part of a family unit. Let’s talk about how Hannah and Bailey eventually became each other’s “found” family.
6) Hannah eventually realizes that Owen has connections to Austin, Texas. So she takes Bailey there to see if they could find out the truth about the past. Do you agree with Hannah’s decision to go to Austin? What would you have done if you were Hannah?
7) We eventually find out that Owen lived a completely different life than what was portrayed. His name is actually Ethan and Bailey’s is Kristin. He took Bailey away from Austin after testifying against his father-in-law and the crime syndicate. What did you think about all these reveals?
8) Why did Hannah go to Nicholas herself?
9) Should Hannah have agreed to go into witness protection program with Owen and Bailey or did she make the right decision in making a deal with Nicholas so Bailey could keep her identity?
10) Do you think Bailey ever managed a relationship with Nicholas or any her cousins?
11) Why do you think the author decided to use titles for each chapter?
12) The last chapter is titled Five Years Later. Or Eight. Or Ten. Why such a vague timeframe? Does this mean that Hannah sees a glimpse of Owen ever so often? Or was that the first time she’s truly seen him? Is there ever a chance for Owen to reunite with Hannah and Bailey?
13) Let’s talk about the significance of Bailey calling Hannah mom at the end of the story.
14) Jennifer Garner is going to play Hannah in the TV version of this story. What are your thoughts on the casting? What elements of the book do you think they’ll include in the show?
Source: https://bookclubchat.com/books/book-club-questions-for-the-last-thing-he-told-me-by-laura-dave/
Book Summary
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Before Owen Michaels disappears he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child and wants nothing to do with her new stepmother.
As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a U.S. marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.
An interview with the author
Trailer for the TV Adaptation
Book Reviews
Reviews of our current book.
Click on the links to read the full review!
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Gisselle ReadsThis was a solid mystery! This book is not a thriller, I think that’s an important distinction to make because you’ll be disappointed if you go into it thinking its a thriller. I listened to the audiobook and I was hooked from the beginning. I think the narrator was great and I recommend it in that format.
I think this book makes for a good book club pick because it makes you think about what you would do. There’s some decisions that the main character, Hannah, has to make I hadn’t thought of what I would do in her position. Aaron and I talked about those things while we were listening to the audiobook and it was fun... -
Book PageIn this era of domestic thrillers, a novel about a functional, loving family can feel refreshing and downright unexpected. Extraordinary circumstances severely test the bonds of one such family in Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me.
Hannah Hall’s adoring husband, coding genius Owen Michaels, vanishes on the same day that his company is raided by the FBI for massive securities fraud. He leaves behind a suspiciously large duffel bag full of cash for his 16-year-old daughter, Bailey. And for his bewildered wife, who is Bailey’s stepmother, he leaves a cryptic note with a single directive: “Protect her.”... -
The Good Book FairyThe Last Thing He Told Me is a powerful read where nothing is what it seems and Hannah’s life is disrupted in unimaginable ways. This book is getting very mixed reviews and I’m not sure why. The characters, once you decide who to trust were relatable and multi-faceted.
The mystery in the book is an unusual one and I very much enjoyed the search, the dedication and the conviction Hannah portrays in finding Owen, her husband. For much of the book, I waffled on whether to trust Owen, the detective, or even Hannah for that matter. The audio narrator did a great job at bringing the characters to life...
The Author's Website
The author's website.
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Laura DaveFor information on the author: back ground information, awards, bibliography, etc.