The French Perfumer

From the bestselling author of The Olive Sisters, surprise and delight your book club buddies with this captivating and evocative novel full twists and turns. Once you’ve entered Hampson’s vivid worlds and met her colourful characters, your next reading group session is set to be lively. Here are some questions to get the ball rolling.

Reading Group Questions

• How would you describe the genre of the book?
• Could you relate to Iris’s loneliness after her father died? Would you have taken the risk she did to do something different?
• Did you predict any of the twists in the story? What didn’t you see coming?
• What was your favourite moment in the novel?
• Do you think Farley’s death was suicide, misadventure or murder? If murder, who is your chief suspect?
• What do you think Lady Jessica’s motives were?
• Could Hammond Brooke have changed his situation and been reunited with Sylvie and his daughter?
• How much did the setting in the South of France and the period contribute to the telling of the story?
• If you were casting the film, who would you cast as William and Iris?
• Discuss the importance of the sense of smell. Are there particular smells that trigger memories for you?
• Do you think the 1950s were a halcyon time? Was life really better/simpler than today?
• What thematic comparisons, if any, can be drawn between this and the author’s first novel, The Olive Sisters?