The Family Upstairs

Lucy makes many difficult choices to protect herself and her family, including hiding Michael’s body. What do these choices tell you about Lucy’s situation? Do you agree with the choices she makes to support her family? Why or why not?

What kind of influence does David have on Martina Lamb and the other adults? How is David able to infiltrate the Lamb family?

Is Henry a trustworthy character? In what ways is Henry an unreliable narrator?

How do the allegiances between the four children—Henry, Lucy, Phin, and Clemency—shift throughout the course of the novel?

How has trauma continued to affect the inhabitants of the Chelsea house as adults? What are some examples?

Describe the Chelsea mansion and how it changes over time. In what ways is the house itself a character in the novel?

Do you think the deaths of David, Martina, and the senior Henry Lamb were murder? Why or why not?

The novel alternates between the present-day stories of Libby and Lucy, which are told in third person, and Henry’s memories of his childhood in the 1980s and 1990s, which are told in first person. Why do you think the author chose to structure the novel this way?