Iris Chang’s mysterious suicide in 2004, at age thirty-six, didn’t seem to make any sense. She had more to live for than anyone, including fame, fortune, beauty, a husband, and child. Some even wondered if the controversial author of the Rape of Nanking had been murdered. Long-time friend Paula Kamen was among those left wondering what had gone so wrong. Seeking to reconcile the suicide with the image of Chang’s “perfect” life, Kamen searched her own memory and scoured Chang’s letters, diaries, and archival material to fill in the gaps of Chang’s personal transformation-from awkward teen to homecoming princess in college, from “ex-shy person” to world-class speaker and international human rights pioneer-and later decline into mental illness and paranoia. A literary investigation of an important writer’s journey, Finding Iris is a tribute to a lost heroine, a portrait of the real and vulnerable woman who inspired so many around the world.

Suggested Book Club Questions for Finding Iris Chang: Friendship, Ambition, and the Loss of an Extraordinary Mind (Fiction)

The following book club questions provide a starting point for creating a reading group discussion on Finding Iris Chang:

• Did Paula Kamen emphasize any specific themes throughout Finding Iris Chang? What do you think Paula Kamen is trying to explain with this theme?
• What was unique about the setting of Finding Iris Chang and how did it affect the storyline?
• Could you relate to any of the characters? If so, which ones and why?
• How do characters change or learn throughout Finding Iris Chang? What events caused these changes? Have you or someone you know experienced the same thing?
• How does Finding Iris Chang reveal Paula Kamen's own perspectives about people and the world? For a lively discussion, describe why you think Paula Kamen is liberal or conservative.
• Did certain parts of Finding Iris Chang affect you emotionally? Why did it evoke those emotions?
• Did Paula Kamen's point of view on things lend new perspective to your own view of the world?

Suggested Book Club Questions for Finding Iris Chang: Friendship, Ambition, and the Loss of an Extraordinary Mind (Non-fiction)

The following book club questions provide a starting point for creating a reading group discussion on Finding Iris Chang:

• Did Paula Kamen make persuasive arguments in Finding Iris Chang? Did Finding Iris Chang change or reinforce your opinion on the subject?
• What did you learn from Finding Iris Chang?
• How does Paula Kamen present the information and did you enjoy it?
• How is Paula Kamen biased within Finding Iris Chang? Is there a political slant to what is being discussed and how does it impact the book?
• What, if anything, does Finding Iris Chang make you want to read next? Why?