READERS GUIDE

1. Courtney is drawn to Salomé almost immediately, despite usually keeping strangers (and friends) at arm’s length. What about Salomé captures Courtney so intensely? If you were in Courtney’s position, would you have derailed your plans for such a connection?
2. Salomé and Courtney form a quick bond. In what ways is their friendship representative of girlhood versus, more simply, the desire for pure connection? How does this compare to Courtney’s friendship with Kylie?
3. As a self-proclaimed Francophile, Courtney had grown accustomed to perceiving France through rose-tinted glasses. Until she meets Salomé. Do you think Courtney would have ultimately viewed France holistically even if she’d never met Salomé? In what ways can a fascination with another culture be harmful not only to the people within that culture, but to the holder of those beliefs?
4. Courtney likes herself best when she’s living as her “French self.” How different is her French self to her American self, and how do both versions influence her perception of reality? In what ways does Courtney’s fascination with her “French self” foreshadow the events that unfold in the latter half of the story?
5. Baird’s novel explores the hunger for control and power, in more ways than one. From Courtney’s struggle with her mind to the surveillance Salomé endures at home, the interplay between occupation and escape is ever-present. Discuss how the idea of astral projection is symbolic of these themes.
6. Salomé is warm, friendly, and sensual. But she’s also somewhat of an enigmatic figure. How did your suspicions of her evolve throughout the novel, if at all? To what extent do you consider her an active participant in the patriarchal bargain?
7. Among the deep insight and real-world commentary, Baird injects Salomé with plenty of humor, whether it stems from the cultural barrier between Courtney and Salomé or the many visceral moments of “millennial cringe.” Share your favorite moment of levity from the book and why it resonated with you.
8. Until now, Salomé’s story has almost exclusively been told by men. To what extent does Baird’s novel challenge the long-held perception of Salomé, the Bible’s original femme fatale?
9. Salomé draws many frightening parallels to the way institutions worldwide are run today. How did Baird’s novel and its characters impact your perception of our reality?
10. Baird’s novel is many things: an endearing coming-of-age story and a gothic-tinged reimagining, as well as a speculative thriller. In what ways did Baird upend your expectations of genre and how might this be symbolic of Courtney’s coming-of-age journey?
11. In what ways does the novel engage with the famous quote from Oscar Wilde’s play, and the epigraph: “The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death”?
12. Between Salomé’s former (and somewhat sketchy) employment at ViPi and Nathalie’s creation of ViPi’s secret “technology,” in what ways do these women contribute to the unethical actions of men? To what degree does Courtney believe that women should be held accountable for similar contributions? Does the novel as a whole share this perspective? Do you?
13. What was your reaction to the ending? What lingering feelings did it leave you with? Where do you think Courtney and Salomé go from here?