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USO Indo-Pacific and USO Europe | Middle East | Africa will host our monthly Overseas Virtual Book Club! discussing "Last Thing He Told Me," by Laura Dave on August 10th at 2000 JST on Zoom.

Stay up to date with the Overseas Virtual Book Club by joining our Facebook Group: USO Overseas Virtual Book Club

Register here: https://register.uso.org/en/4111BMB7/virtual-book-club-the-last-thing-he-told-me-by-laura-dave-august-10-2023-5a3I8X33UXY/overview

#usoreading #bookclub

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Since we're spread out across the world, please share your location (without sharing your exact address) on the padlet map! ** Feel free to share a quick bio in the thread, and/or directly on the padlet map (link below). -- What's your name? How do you identify (pronouns)? Where do you live?

USO OVBC Intros

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Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers-Owen's sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah's increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen's boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn't who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen's true identity-and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen's past, they soon realize they're also building a new future-one neither of them could have anticipated.

With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.

"Dave's neat trick is to unveil revelations at a brisk clip that does not overwhelm character development. The novel's richness comes from the way Hannah and Bailey realize they need each other in the face of staggering loss; the mutual trust that grows between them is genuinely moving. As both daughter and stepmother come to realize, 'That's how you fill in the blanks - with stories and memories from the people who love you.'"
The New York Times Book Review

"Interweaving the complex family relationships of Little Fires Everywhere with the suspenseful twists of Big Little Lies, The Last Thing He Told Me will trigger goosebumps and tears as you flip pages like mad to see how Hannah will handle the bombshells lurking in Bailey's past."
Adrian Liang, Amazon Book Review

"Dave pulls off something that feels both new and familiar: a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves, then reassures. This is the antithesis of the way novels like Gone Girl or My Lovely Wife are constructed; in The Last Thing He Told Me, the surface is ugly, the situation disturbing, but almost everyone involved is basically good underneath it all. Dave has given readers what many people crave right now-a thoroughly engrossing yet comforting distraction."
BookPage

"The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave is a fast-moving, heartfelt thriller about the sacrifices we make for the people we love most."
Real Simple

"Page-turning, exhilarating, and unforgettable."
PopSugar

more than 1.8 million copies sold

#1 New York Times Bestseller

Indie Next Book pick

Reese Witherpoon Book Club Pick

Goodreads Thriller & Mystery of the year

an Amazon best book of the year

an Apple best book of the year

A Vogue best book of the year

A Real Simple best book of the year

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Katherine Eskovitz

Laura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me, Eight Hundred Grapes and other novels.

Her books have been published in thirty-eight countries and have been chosen by Reese Witherspoon's Book Club, Indie Next, Book of the Month Club, The Richard and Judy Book Club, Best of Amazon, and Best of Apple Books. The Last Thing He Told Me was chosen as the Goodreads Mystery & Thriller of the Year for 2021. It is soon to be a limited series on Apple TV+, co-created by Laura.

She resides in Santa Monica, California.

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Laura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me, Eight Hundred Grapes and other novels.

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Instagram

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Facebook

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The Last Thing He Told Me — Book to Screen | Apple TV+

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The Last Thing He Told Me — Book to Screen | Apple TV+

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The Last Thing He Told Me — Book to Screen | Apple TV+

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Hannah's Redemption Pasta

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Jennifer Garner, Laura Dave on ‘The Last Thing He Told Me’ series

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Extended interview: Jennifer Garner, novelist Laura Dave and more

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When you first read that Owen went missing, what did you think happened?

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Owen’s note to Hannah says—protect her. We know he’s talking about Bailey and protecting her from the past. Why didn’t Owen write more to Hannah? Do you believe he expected her to eventually figure out his past?

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On that same note, why did Owen conceal his past to both Hannah and Bailey? How would you react if your spouse deceived you about the central details of their life?

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Why was Bailey so cold to Hannah in the beginning? When did she began to warm up to her?

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Hannah’s parents pretty much deserted her and she was raised by her grandfather. So she was not used to being part of a family unit. Let’s talk about how Hannah and Bailey eventually became each other’s “found” family.

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Hannah eventually realizes that Owen has connections to Austin, Texas. So she takes Bailey there to see if they could find out the truth about the past. Do you agree with Hannah’s decision to go to Austin? What would you have done if you were Hannah?

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We eventually find out that Owen lived a completely different life than what was portrayed. His name is actually Ethan and Bailey’s is Kristin. He took Bailey away from Austin after testifying against his father-in-law and the crime syndicate. What did you think about all these reveals?

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Should Hannah have agreed to go into witness protection program with Owen and Bailey or did she make the right decision in making a deal with Nicholas so Bailey could keep her identity?

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Do you think Bailey ever managed a relationship with Nicholas or any her cousins?

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Why do you think the author decided to use titles for each chapter?

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The last chapter is titled Five Years Later. Or Eight. Or Ten. Why such a vague timeframe? Does this mean that Hannah sees a glimpse of Owen ever so often? Or was that the first time she’s truly seen him? Is there ever a chance for Owen to reunite with Hannah and Bailey?

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Let’s talk about the significance of Bailey calling Hannah mom at the end of the story.

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Were you disappointed in the ending? Why or why not? While Bailey and Hannah receive their “normal” lives back, Owen doesn’t. How did you feel about this?

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How would you feel if you were asked to take care of someone else’s child? In what circumstances might you say yes, or no? Owen placed immense trust in Hannah’s making a specific decision. Was it, ultimately, warranted? Was it fair to even ask her?

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In Austin, Hannah tells Bailey that she’s trying to protect her, to which Bailey responds, “But you can’t. That’s the thing. No one can protect me from this. So how about you agree to be the person who tells me the truth?” (112) What’s the relationship between the truth and protecting those we love? Can we do both, or are they mutually exclusive?

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Hannah realizes that Owen isn’t running for just any reason, but that “he’s running from something he’s terrified of.” (150) Did you have any theories about what Owen was running from, and did the real answer surprise you? What are some things that might make you drop everything and run the same way Owen did?

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If you are watching The Last Thing He Told Me limited series, how does it compare? What differences do you like/dislike?

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Jennifer Garner is going to play Hannah in the TV version of this story. What are your thoughts on the casting?