Inspired by our Book Club article, the editors at Bas Bleu decided it was time to compile a book club guide of our own! This series recommends novels handpicked by Bas Bleu, including our editor’s review, questions to prompt thoughtful book club discussions, recipes inspired by elements of the book, and activities to provoke increased connection with the text and each other. Want to request a book be featured in our Book Club Series? Contact us here!
The Review
The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda
Cutter’s Pass is the most dangerous town in North Carolina. At least, that’s what outsiders think: As of April, seven people have disappeared in the mountain trails. In August, Trey West appears at the inn Abby has worked at for the past ten years. The brother of the most recent missing outsider (Landon West was a journalist who was visiting the town to investigate its mystery) is searching for answers, and Abby, still an outsider herself, gets swept up in his suspicions. It seems the locals know more than they ever let on, and there’s one thing tying every disappearance together, but Abby is going to have to face her own history before the truth can be uncovered. (RR)
The Discussion Questions
Despite its appearance as a cozy resort town, Cutter’s Pass is portrayed—to the reader—as a cold, isolated, and moody place. Considering the fact that Abby is the book’s sole narrator, how might you read this characterization, and what implications does it have regarding her presence within Cutter’s Pass?
Is Abby a reliable narrator? Why or why not? How do her interactions with other characters embody one of the novel’s central concerns: that is, the inability to truly “know” another person?
Many different forms of “reality” appear in The Last to Vanish. Characters divulge rumors, talk about myths, and share practical (as well as comforting) explanations for the vanishings of past visitors. What does the novel suggest about truth and its relationship to myth?
What does the novel say about the secrets we hide? Are those secrets ultimately more “real” than what we’re willing to reveal to our friends, our coworkers, ourselves? Consider the truths Cory is able to tell visitors on his ghost tours and the secrets he keeps locked within his chest. Are there “truths” that we can’t even reveal to ourselves?
How would you characterize the relationships that Abby has with other characters? Are her relationships with the town’s longtime residents different from her relationships with semi-outsiders like Georgia? What about with Trey?
What does it mean to be part of a community, and what does it mean to be an outsider? Consider the fact that Abby has lived in Cutter’s Pass for ten years but still feels (at times) like a stranger. Do you think she’d be more accepted as a member of the community if she didn’t start seeking out the truth with Trey? Why or why not?
Why do you think the novel opens with a page from Landon West’s journal? How did this choice affect your interpretation of the story?
Explore the role that “outsiders” play in The Last to Vanish, as well as in real life. Are they, like Landon and Trey West, able to pierce through the secrets that close-knit communities hide? Consider, in your evaluation, the role that Abby (who is both an outsider and not) plays in this novel. What kinds of revelations is she privy to as someone who occupies this unique position?
Evaluate the theme of morality in this novel. Are you able to tell who is a “good” character and who is not? Explain how and why. Additionally, do you think that we are biased toward Abby because she is the book’s narrator?
What does “haunting” mean in the context of Trey’s role in the novel, and what does the word mean for the inhabitants of Cutter’s Pass at large? Are the longtime residents, like Celeste and Cory, haunted by different things than Georgia or Abby are? Discuss.
The Recipes
The Passage Inn has a happy hour every night, catered by the Last Stop Tavern. Shortly after Trey’s arrival to town, several nosy townspeople appear at the happy hour to pry, politely refusing to answer the visitor’s own questions. Abby pairs wine with the appetizers.
She set up the appetizers on the warming trays, then stood off to the side as the early couple started piling their small plates with an assortment of bruschetta and mini mozzarella sticks, heat visibly escaping at first bite.
Make your own Bruschetta
Serves 8
1 loaf French bread, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Gather all ingredients and preheat oven to 400ºF.
Brush bread slices on both sides lightly with 1 tbsp oil and place on large baking sheet. Toast bread until golden, 5 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
Meanwhile, toss together tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in a bowl.
Mix in balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.
Spoon tomato mixture onto toasted bread slices and serve immediately.
Glimpses of Abby’s past are few and far between, but one memory surprises her when she visits Harris’s house. This recipe is best used during book club, rather than in preparation—we recommend using as many fun cookie cutters as possible!
The house smelled of syrup and home, and I got a flash of nostalgia for Saturday mornings growing up, when my mom and I used cookie cutters to make pancakes in the shape of hearts.
Make your own Cookie Cutter Pancakes
Serves 12
2 cups all purpose plain flour
¼ cup granulated sugar or sweetener
4 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1¾ cups milk
¼ cup butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
Combine the flour, sugar (or sweetener), baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large-sized bowl. Make a well in the center and add the milk, slightly cooled melted butter, vanilla and egg.
Whisk the wet ingredients together first before slowly folding them into the dry ingredients. Mix together until smooth.
Set the batter aside and allow to rest while heating up your pan or griddle.
Heat a nonstick pan or griddle over low-medium heat and wipe over with a little butter to lightly grease pan. Place your cookie cutters on the pan, then pour ¼ cup of batter into the cookie cutter.
When the underside is golden and bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip the cookie cutter and pancake together with a spatula and cook until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve with honey, maple syrup, fruit, ice cream or frozen yogurt, or enjoy plain!
The Activities
If the weather’s behaving, take your book club on a hike—but learn from the Vanished and practice safe hiking! Plan your trip so you have plenty of daytime, dress appropriately, bring food and water and a first aid kit, and avoid intoxication or inter-group fighting. Bring a camera and try to replicate Farrah’s spinny sky photographs.
Attempt to map out Cutter’s Pass. The Passage Inn, the Last Stop Tavern, Trace of the Mountain Souvenirs, the Edge, CJ’s Hideaway, Cory and Harris’s homes. What other clever shop names can you imagine?
Plan your own trip to the Appalachian Trail (without the sordid ending). Really channel your inner travel agent. For longer meetings, fill more time by scrapbooking your “travels.” Print pictures from the Internet of the hotels, restaurants, and sights that would make up your dream trip—and consider making your entrance from a larger city.
Create a shared playlist based on the tone of the novel. What musical genre best represents the mysterious town? What lyrics best represent the missing?
Write and share your own thrilling short stories. Tell stories about missing people, about secrets that stay buried, about a small town that protects its own while dismissing outsiders. Or, get to know the secondary characters better. Write about Cory’s missteps as a teenager or his experiences as a tour guide. Write Harris’s history in greater detail, or rewrite it altogether. Write about the Vanished: their lives before, their fears and motivations during. Who are these characters, really, and what work are they doing in the novel? Fill in the gaps that exist in our knowledge about them.
Easily enough, host your own happy hour using the recipes above. Speak in only questions, or see how long you can converse without answering any questions yourself. How difficult is the roundabout Cutter’s Pass speak?