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Table of Contents
About The Book
In her “keenly observed” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis) debut, Rachel Louise Snyder, author of the memoir Women We Buried, Women We Burned and the award-winning No Visible Bruises, chronicles the twenty-four hours following a mass burglary in a Chicago suburb and the suspicions, secrets, and prejudices that surface in its wake.
Nestled on the edge of Chicago’s gritty west side, Oak Park is a suburb in flux. To the west, theaters and shops frame posh houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. To the east lies a neighborhood still recovering from urban decline. In the center of the community sits Ilios Lane, a pristine cul-de-sac dotted with quiet homes that bridge the surrounding extremes of wealth and poverty.
On the first warm day in April, Mary Elizabeth McPherson, a lifelong resident of Ilios Lane, skips school with her friend Sofia. As the two experiment with a heavy dose of ecstasy in Mary Elizabeth’s dining room, a series of home invasions rocks their neighborhood. At first the community is determined to band together, but rising suspicions soon threaten to destroy the world they were attempting to create. Filtered through a vibrant pinwheel of characters, Snyder’s tour de force evokes the heightened tension of a community on edge as it builds towards an explosive conclusion.
Incisive and panoramic, What We’ve Lost Is Nothing illuminates the evolving relationship between American cities and their suburbs, the hidden prejudices that can threaten a way of life, and the redemptive power of tolerance in a community torn asunder. “Ideas abound in this thoughtful story, a demonstration of the author’s years of experience as a community organizer. What We’ve Lost Is Nothing has the stamp of authenticity” (The Washington Post).
Nestled on the edge of Chicago’s gritty west side, Oak Park is a suburb in flux. To the west, theaters and shops frame posh houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. To the east lies a neighborhood still recovering from urban decline. In the center of the community sits Ilios Lane, a pristine cul-de-sac dotted with quiet homes that bridge the surrounding extremes of wealth and poverty.
On the first warm day in April, Mary Elizabeth McPherson, a lifelong resident of Ilios Lane, skips school with her friend Sofia. As the two experiment with a heavy dose of ecstasy in Mary Elizabeth’s dining room, a series of home invasions rocks their neighborhood. At first the community is determined to band together, but rising suspicions soon threaten to destroy the world they were attempting to create. Filtered through a vibrant pinwheel of characters, Snyder’s tour de force evokes the heightened tension of a community on edge as it builds towards an explosive conclusion.
Incisive and panoramic, What We’ve Lost Is Nothing illuminates the evolving relationship between American cities and their suburbs, the hidden prejudices that can threaten a way of life, and the redemptive power of tolerance in a community torn asunder. “Ideas abound in this thoughtful story, a demonstration of the author’s years of experience as a community organizer. What We’ve Lost Is Nothing has the stamp of authenticity” (The Washington Post).
Reading Group Guide
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This reading group guide for What We’ve Lost is Nothing includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
On the first warm day in April, as Mary Elizabeth McPherson ditches high school, a series of break-ins rock her neighborhood; the burglars invade her house as she sits in her dining room, stoned with a friend. Mary Elizabeth’s community, Oak Park, is a suburb in flux. Nestled on the edge of Chicago’s gritty west side, Oak Park offers two stark lifestyles: to the west, theaters and shops frame posh homes and buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. To the east, adjacent to Chicago’s Austin Community Area, lies a neighborhood still reeling from urban decline. The community’s Diversity Assurance Program has curbed destructive racial housing practices, but cultural integration has been tenuous at best. In the center of the community sits Mary’s house on Ilios Lane, a pristine cul-de-sac dotted with quiet homes that bridge Oak Park’s extremes. As the aftermath of the burglaries unfolds over the course of twenty four hours, the residents of Ilios Lane must take stock of the world they believed they lived in, and the world many of them were attempting to create.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The novel opens with Caz and Mary walking to Mary’s home, but only picks up the second half of their story at almost the very end of the book. How does this technique influence your reading of the rest of the novel, and your perception of the characters, especially Caz? How does this flash-forward serve to make the rest of Mary’s story all the more surprising?
2. Between the novel’s epigram, the blog post comment on page 203, and the name Ilios Lane itself, the Homeric references are clearly no accident. What effect do these references have on your understanding of the story, either on the level of plot or theme?
3. Contrary to most of the adults in the novel, Mary seems to think of the burglaries primarily as an opportunity, specifically to boost her “standing in the high school caste system”(p. 2). Are there other examples of opportunity arising out of loss? Do you see this phenomenon in the real world as well?
4. One of the many themes in the novel is the futility of parents trying to keep their children completely safe—as Susan muses early on, “The world had a way of reaching that child…” Do you agree with this sentiment, or is it pessimistic? How would your understanding of this idea shape your role as a parent or caregiver?
5. Michael’s storyline may be intended to demonstrate the truth of the idea that, “one meanness can spur another” (p. 24). Did the burglaries change Michael, or just give him a little push into action? Do you find this idea to be true, that trauma and tragedy can bring out the worst in people, in addition to, or alongside the best?
6. The disappearance of Arthur’s notebooks—his life’s work—devastates him in a singular way. What are we surprised to find we value once it’s gone? What do we value that we think is untouchable?
7. Sofia’s family provides a unique perspective on the burglaries. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of their response? In our own lives, how do we draw on tradition and experience to help us cope with tragedy, as Sary and Dara do with their spirit house?
8. How do the addition of other voices, through the blog posts, listservs, and emails included in the text, affect the story and your interpretation of it? What does the addition of these alternative media forms do that the author cannot?
9. Susan’s story helps us to understand the story of Diversity Assurance: the history, the positive effects, and the limits all come to light over the course of the novel. How does her story symbolize the pros and cons of Diversity Assurance? How does the novel explore these ambiguities?
10. “What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you?” What do you make of Arthur’s theory about this question? Are the ‘worst things’ the things that ultimately define us? What about people without an easy answer to that question?
11. Re-read the James Baldwin quotation on page 104. How does this excerpt alter your understanding of the novel, in its relationship to history and progress? How much have things really changed since the time it was written?
12. Compare and contrast Susan and Michael’s perspectives on change and possibility on page 153. Which side of the fence do you come down on? Why?
13. The meeting of all the Ilios Lane residents on page 108 highlights one of the central themes of the book—the idea that after the initial contact with the police there was nothing for them to do about the crimes. How do the various inhabitants respond to this? Why do you think it is so hard for us to cope with inaction?
14. Alice’s quest for peace of mind prompts her to happily sign up for an expensive and elaborate alarm system. What does peace of mind really mean to Alice? What does it say about peace of mind if it is so easily destroyed, and so easily regained?
15. In many ways the novel can be read as a meditation on the value of diversity and integration. How did reading What We’ve Lost is Nothing change your perspective on these issues?
16. Why do burglaries take away our sense of control? What do the various characters do in the effort to regain this control? Is our sense of control real, or is it a comforting illusion?
17. Dan’s rant on pages 234 – 235 encompasses many of the themes of the novel and provides a unique perspective on the burglaries. What do you make of his points? Do you agree with his perception that the Ilios Lane residents wrongly thought of themselves as immune? What causes us to feel that way?
18. Susan’s run forms an emotional climax to her story, and to the novel as a whole. What effect did these passages have on your perception of her, and of the novel’s themes? What do these sections say about prejudice and perception?
19. The title of the novel, taken from Michael’s speech, is deliberately ambiguous, and resonates for each character in different ways. What do you make of it, having finished the book? What does it say about loss, possessions, and values?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Rachel Louise Snyder writes extensively about programs like Diversity Assurance, as well as other social issues. Read some of her nonfiction articles, many of which can be found on her website RachelLouiseSnyder.com, and report what you’ve learned to your group. What does Snyder’s nonfiction reveal about the novel and its themes?
2. Research the history of diversity and integration in your neighborhood, or one you’ve lived in. In addition to researching online, try visiting your town’s historical society or interviewing someone with a different perspective. How has your town or city’s relationship to diversity changed over the past fifty years? How does its pattern match or deviate from the one depicted in What We’ve Lost is Nothing?
3. We all have a unique relationship to issues of diversity and social programs designed to encourage it in our communities. Write a short piece to share with your group about your own personal relationship to these issues and the effect they’ve had on your own life.
4. Rachel Louise Snyder is an active participant on social media networks, get in touch to share your group’s experiences with What We’ve Lost is Nothing.
Twitter: Twitter.com/RachelLSnyder
Facebook: Facebook.com/RachelLouiseSnyder
Introduction
On the first warm day in April, as Mary Elizabeth McPherson ditches high school, a series of break-ins rock her neighborhood; the burglars invade her house as she sits in her dining room, stoned with a friend. Mary Elizabeth’s community, Oak Park, is a suburb in flux. Nestled on the edge of Chicago’s gritty west side, Oak Park offers two stark lifestyles: to the west, theaters and shops frame posh homes and buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. To the east, adjacent to Chicago’s Austin Community Area, lies a neighborhood still reeling from urban decline. The community’s Diversity Assurance Program has curbed destructive racial housing practices, but cultural integration has been tenuous at best. In the center of the community sits Mary’s house on Ilios Lane, a pristine cul-de-sac dotted with quiet homes that bridge Oak Park’s extremes. As the aftermath of the burglaries unfolds over the course of twenty four hours, the residents of Ilios Lane must take stock of the world they believed they lived in, and the world many of them were attempting to create.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The novel opens with Caz and Mary walking to Mary’s home, but only picks up the second half of their story at almost the very end of the book. How does this technique influence your reading of the rest of the novel, and your perception of the characters, especially Caz? How does this flash-forward serve to make the rest of Mary’s story all the more surprising?
2. Between the novel’s epigram, the blog post comment on page 203, and the name Ilios Lane itself, the Homeric references are clearly no accident. What effect do these references have on your understanding of the story, either on the level of plot or theme?
3. Contrary to most of the adults in the novel, Mary seems to think of the burglaries primarily as an opportunity, specifically to boost her “standing in the high school caste system”(p. 2). Are there other examples of opportunity arising out of loss? Do you see this phenomenon in the real world as well?
4. One of the many themes in the novel is the futility of parents trying to keep their children completely safe—as Susan muses early on, “The world had a way of reaching that child…” Do you agree with this sentiment, or is it pessimistic? How would your understanding of this idea shape your role as a parent or caregiver?
5. Michael’s storyline may be intended to demonstrate the truth of the idea that, “one meanness can spur another” (p. 24). Did the burglaries change Michael, or just give him a little push into action? Do you find this idea to be true, that trauma and tragedy can bring out the worst in people, in addition to, or alongside the best?
6. The disappearance of Arthur’s notebooks—his life’s work—devastates him in a singular way. What are we surprised to find we value once it’s gone? What do we value that we think is untouchable?
7. Sofia’s family provides a unique perspective on the burglaries. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of their response? In our own lives, how do we draw on tradition and experience to help us cope with tragedy, as Sary and Dara do with their spirit house?
8. How do the addition of other voices, through the blog posts, listservs, and emails included in the text, affect the story and your interpretation of it? What does the addition of these alternative media forms do that the author cannot?
9. Susan’s story helps us to understand the story of Diversity Assurance: the history, the positive effects, and the limits all come to light over the course of the novel. How does her story symbolize the pros and cons of Diversity Assurance? How does the novel explore these ambiguities?
10. “What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you?” What do you make of Arthur’s theory about this question? Are the ‘worst things’ the things that ultimately define us? What about people without an easy answer to that question?
11. Re-read the James Baldwin quotation on page 104. How does this excerpt alter your understanding of the novel, in its relationship to history and progress? How much have things really changed since the time it was written?
12. Compare and contrast Susan and Michael’s perspectives on change and possibility on page 153. Which side of the fence do you come down on? Why?
13. The meeting of all the Ilios Lane residents on page 108 highlights one of the central themes of the book—the idea that after the initial contact with the police there was nothing for them to do about the crimes. How do the various inhabitants respond to this? Why do you think it is so hard for us to cope with inaction?
14. Alice’s quest for peace of mind prompts her to happily sign up for an expensive and elaborate alarm system. What does peace of mind really mean to Alice? What does it say about peace of mind if it is so easily destroyed, and so easily regained?
15. In many ways the novel can be read as a meditation on the value of diversity and integration. How did reading What We’ve Lost is Nothing change your perspective on these issues?
16. Why do burglaries take away our sense of control? What do the various characters do in the effort to regain this control? Is our sense of control real, or is it a comforting illusion?
17. Dan’s rant on pages 234 – 235 encompasses many of the themes of the novel and provides a unique perspective on the burglaries. What do you make of his points? Do you agree with his perception that the Ilios Lane residents wrongly thought of themselves as immune? What causes us to feel that way?
18. Susan’s run forms an emotional climax to her story, and to the novel as a whole. What effect did these passages have on your perception of her, and of the novel’s themes? What do these sections say about prejudice and perception?
19. The title of the novel, taken from Michael’s speech, is deliberately ambiguous, and resonates for each character in different ways. What do you make of it, having finished the book? What does it say about loss, possessions, and values?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Rachel Louise Snyder writes extensively about programs like Diversity Assurance, as well as other social issues. Read some of her nonfiction articles, many of which can be found on her website RachelLouiseSnyder.com, and report what you’ve learned to your group. What does Snyder’s nonfiction reveal about the novel and its themes?
2. Research the history of diversity and integration in your neighborhood, or one you’ve lived in. In addition to researching online, try visiting your town’s historical society or interviewing someone with a different perspective. How has your town or city’s relationship to diversity changed over the past fifty years? How does its pattern match or deviate from the one depicted in What We’ve Lost is Nothing?
3. We all have a unique relationship to issues of diversity and social programs designed to encourage it in our communities. Write a short piece to share with your group about your own personal relationship to these issues and the effect they’ve had on your own life.
4. Rachel Louise Snyder is an active participant on social media networks, get in touch to share your group’s experiences with What We’ve Lost is Nothing.
Twitter: Twitter.com/RachelLSnyder
Facebook: Facebook.com/RachelLouiseSnyder
About The Author
Photograph by Jocelyn Augustino
Rachel Louise Snyder is the author of the memoir Women We Buried, Women We Burned; the novel What We’ve Lost Is Nothing; Fugitive Denim; and No Visible Bruises, a New York Times Top Ten Book of the Year, winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award, the Hillman Prize, and the Helen Bernstein Book Award, and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Kirkus Award. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Slate, and elsewhere. A 2020–2021 Guggenheim Fellow, Snyder lives in Washington, DC, where she is an associate professor of creative writing and journalism at American University.
Product Details
- Publisher: Scribner (January 21, 2014)
- Length: 320 pages
- ISBN13: 9781476725222
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Raves and Reviews
"Ideas abound in this thoughtful story, a demonstration of the author’s years of experience as a community organizer. What We’ve Lost Is Nothing has the stamp of authenticity."
– Washington Post
"Keenly observed."
– Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Snyder's debut is smooth and engaging, and reads like the work of a veteran novelist."
– Publishers Weekly
“Veteran journalist Snyder crafts a muscular and fearless debut novel that boldly tackles the heady themes of prejudice, self-preservation, poverty and privilege. . . .Snyder’s drama provocatively reveals the escalating tensions of a community about to implode.”
– Booklist
"Riveting . . . Snyder’s portrayal of the disintegration of this one quiet block is masterful, forcing the reader to examine the possibility of his own stereotypical behavior if faced with a similar situation."
– Bookpage
"Snyder's character development is astounding, as are the complexities of her writing. She manages to tackle some big issues including racism, city vs. suburb, violence, and the enigma of the human psyche -- all while telling a spectacular story."
– Bookslut
"Rachel Louise Snyder writes with the rigorous scrutiny of an investigative journalist and the deep and roving empathy of a natural-born novelist. What We've Lost is Nothing is a stellar debut by an important and necessary new voice among us."
– Andre Dubus III, author of House of Sand and Fog and Townie
"A powerful, page-turning debut that dares to delve below the surface of our glossy American lives. You may never look at your neighbors—or yourself—the same way again."
– David Goodwillie, author of American Subversive
"An important new voice in fiction. With sharp prose and compelling insight, Snyder renders a beautiful portrait of both the complex world of Ilios Lane and the gulf between the way that we imagine our worst fears, and the way that they come to pass and demand that we survive them."
– Danielle Evans, author of Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self
“Snyder offers us an unflinching and complicated portrait of a community that is afraid to look back at itself, and she does so with grace, wit and tenderness of heart. This book is stunning and so incredibly relevant.”
– Alison Espach, author of The Adults
"A compelling and important novel about family and neighborhood, about individuals when ideals and values are thrown into harsh contrast. A marvelous book."
– Mark LaFramboise, Bookseller, Politics and Prose
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