Sanjida Kay’s psychological thrillers feature mothers and daughters. What did you think of the mothers – Eleanor and Amy – in this novel? How are society’s expectations of motherhood reflected in these two women’s parenting styles?

The settings in One Year Later are the family’s childhood home in Somerset, Bristol, and a tiny, remote island off the coast of Tuscany in Italy. How did these locations reflect what was happening to the family?

The events that unfold are based on long-held secrets and grievances. Is it ever acceptable to act the way the characters did, given their past histories?

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri is mentioned throughout the novel. How is this Italian poem used to comment upon the events in One Year Later?

The novel is ultimately about the emotional damage that families inflict on their children, which is passed on from generation to generation. Do the Flowers family eventually escape this cycle? Is it ever possible to break free from the harm caused by a dysfunctional and emotionally abusive childhood?