Remember My Name

About the Book

After a life marked by struggle, Sheri Starling’s chance encounter with a wealthy socialite and philanthropist catapults her from the dark end of the street to the bright lights of high society. But reinvention comes at a cost. As Sheri’s two worlds collide, she’s forced to confront what authenticity, friendship and redemption really mean. Sharp, witty and deeply human, Remember My Name examines how far we’ll go to be seen—and what it takes to be truly known.

1. First Impressions

  • What were your initial thoughts about Sheri? How did your perception of her change throughout the novel?
  • Did the opening chapters evoke empathy, discomfort, admiration—or a mix of all three?

2. Themes of Reinvention and Identity

  • Sheri’s story is about transformation—social, emotional and moral. What does “reinvention” mean for her? Is it liberation, survival or performance?
  • How do class, gender and sexuality shape who gets to reinvent themselves—and who doesn’t?
  • Can anyone truly start over, or does the past always follow?

3. Compassion and Responsibility

  • Sheri’s small acts of kindness toward Danny and the women at Sephryn House are pivotal. What do these gestures reveal about her sense of responsibility and connection?
  • Do you think she makes the right choice in asking Danny to move out when her career takes off? Why or why not?
  • How do the novel’s depictions of care and concern—especially between those society overlooks—contrast with the “charity” of the wealthy characters?

4. Fame, Image, and the Machinery of Morality

  • Gloria Meadows represents a world where philanthropy and performance blur. How does the novel use her character to critique celebrity culture, capitalism and inequality?
  • What does Sheri learn about the difference between being a good person and looking like a good person?
  • How does the media—or the gaze of others—shape the characters’ moral choices?

5. Power and Exploitation

  • From the sex industry to celebrity circles, the novel examines systems where power is traded for survival. What parallels did you notice between these worlds?
  • How do gender, poverty and class dynamics play out in Sheri’s relationships with men—her clients, her boyfriend and Danny?
  • How does Danny exercise power at the start of the novel compared with later on? How and why do the power dynamics change?

6. Redemption and Self-Acceptance

  • The novel ends with both triumph and reckoning. What does redemption look like for Sheri?
  • What do you think is in store for Sheri after the book ends? Do you feel she finds peace or will there be more disappointments?
  • How does the book align with traditional “happy ending” narratives, especially for marginalized people? What would an “unhappy ending” or unresolved ending have looked like for Sheri and Danny?

7. Tone and Style

  • How did the novel’s use of satire and dark humour affect your experience as a reader?
  • Did you find the balance between empathy and critique effective? Were there moments when the satire hit too hard—or not hard enough?

8. Contemporary Resonance

  • What echoes of today’s culture—social media fame, performative activism, economic inequality—did you see in the story?
  • How might this novel read differently if it were set in the 2020s instead of the turn of the millennium?

9. Danny’s Story

  • Danny’s trajectory parallels Sheri’s in some ways. What does his story say about youth, vulnerability and chosen family?
  • Could Sheri have done more to help him—or did she already give everything she could?
  • What did Danny learn about relationships from his experience with Ben and Sheri? By the end, did he truly learn anything or did he simply regress to a state of adolescence?

10. Final Reflections

  • What moment in the novel stayed with you the most, and why?
  • If you could ask Sheri one question, what would it be?
  • What do you think the title Remember My Name signifies in the end—fame, identity, survival, or something else?

Optional Activities for Book Clubs

  • Soundtrack of Reinvention: Have members pick a song from the late 1990s/early 2000s that captures Sheri’s journey or emotional turning point.
  • Media Rewrite: Discuss how Sheri’s story would be told in a modern news cycle or social media post—what truths would be lost?
  • Character Empathy Exercise: Write a short letter from Sheri to Gloria, or Danny to Ben, one year after the end of the novel (or choose your own characters). What would they say to each other?

Further information

Go back to Remember My Name

Remember My Name