Printable Book Club Questions for Northern Spy by Flynn Berry

Did you know much about the conflicts in Ireland prior to reading this novel? In your opinion, why do you think these conflicts have escalated this year?
Reese’s book club selects all kinds of novels and genres. Why do you believe she chose this novel for her April book club pick?
Tessa is our protagonist, a single working mother who loves her family. What was your initial impressions of Tessa?
When she sees her sister Marian as part of a robbery with the IRA, Tessa is convinced that Marian must have been abducted. Did you agree with Tessa or did you have suspicions that Marian willingly took part?
What do you make of Marian’s reasoning for joining the IRA?
Tessa wants nothing to do with Marian but when she finds out her sister is now an informant for the government, Marian pleads for her to get involved. While initially she rebuffs this out of fear for what will happen to her son Finn, she realizes that she has no choice, in her mind at least. Do you agree with Tessa’s decision to become an informant as well? What would you have done if you were Tessa?
Tessa really struggles with Marian’s decision to join the IRA and thinks to herself, “can you be a terrorist and an informer at the same time, or are you only ever one or the other?” What’s your opinion on this?
As Tessa becomes more involved as an informant she eventually meets the rest of Marian’s team with the IRA. What did you make of the other members? How do you think they could talk about bombings and such so casually? Do they view the attacks more of an abstract action by them—as in they don’t think about the body count so much as moving forward their cause?
Which scenes do you feel provided the most tension in the story?
How did you think this story would resolve? Were you satisfied by the ending? Will the family ever be able to return to Belfast?
The epilogue shows a happy and curious Finn. Why do you think the author decided to include that?
Why was the book titled Northern Spy?