READERS GUIDE

Reader’s Guide
To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai
Discussion Questions:


1.   Simi’s parents are so desperate to see her married, they ambush her with eligible young bachelors. How do familial expectations influence Simi’s perspective on relationships? Why does she continue to meet the potential suitors despite having no interest in getting married?

2.   When we first meet Simi, she comes across as risk averse. She is still living in the same city where she grew up. She has the same best friend. She remains closely tied to her family. And she has been through a number of dead-end jobs, each one very similar to the last. What motivates her to take the risk of getting involved in a heist with a man she barely knows? How does her life change once she starts taking risks?

3.   Simi and Jack have their first fight after he abandons her during a break-in. He explains later that there was a very small chance the intruders would have hurt her because they were after him. He was also confident she could look after herself. Do you agree with his decision? Could he have handled the situation a different way? Was he sufficiently apologetic, or would you have expected more groveling?

4.   Every heist needs a crew. Simi relies on people with whom she has a connection—however tenuous. Did all the crew members fulfill the roles expected of them? Did the members grow over the course of the story? Did you have a favorite?

5.   If you had to assemble a heist crew from the people in your life, who would you pick and why?

6.   Jack thinks of himself as good guy akin to Robin Hood. He retrieves stolen jewelry and artifacts and returns them to their rightful owners. Nothing annoys him more than being called a thief. By law, two wrongs don’t make a right. But is it morally wrong to steal back something stolen from you or, alternatively, to steal something to return it? Where does Jack fall on the spectrum of right and wrong?

7.   Despite seemingly opposite personalities, Simi and Jack fall for each other over the course of the book. What fuels their attraction? Is it purely physical, or is there something more? Simi also had a flirtation with Detective Garcia. Do you think Garcia or Jack is the better fit for Simi?

8.   Simi and her friends are saddled with debt; unable to accumulate wealth; and stuck in low-benefit, dead-end jobs. They see the reward money as a means of achieving the financial security that their parents, grandparents, and even older siblings enjoyed. For each member of the crew, how do you see the money changing their life? Do you think it will pave the way to a better future, or will they blow it all at once?

9.   Near the end of the story, Bella steals the necklace and then callously shoots her lover. Do you think the theft was impulsive or planned? Did she truly love Ben, or was he simply an escape or diversion from familial obligation? Would you give up $25 million for love?