Book Club
Current Book
Join us on January 13, 2025 at 7:00 pm at Cancun Mexican Grill for a lively discussion of this month’s book “Sociopath” by Patric Gagne. Books can be checked out at the library Circulation Desk, or put on hold here.
Copies of the book are available at LTPL and also as a downloadable e-book and audiobook on Libby. Please contact the library if you need assistance in how to use Libby or Hoopla on your own device
Download the eBook or audiobook on Libby here.
Book Summary
Patric Gagne realized she made others uncomfortable before she started kindergarten. Something about her caused people to react in a way she didn’t understand. She suspected it was because she didn’t feel things the way other people did. Emotions like fear, guilt, and empathy eluded her. For the most part, she felt nothing. And she didn’t like the way that “nothing” felt.
In college, Patric finally confirmed what she’d long suspected. She was a sociopath. But even though it was the very first personality disorder identified—well over 200 years ago—sociopathy had been neglected by mental health professionals for decades. She was told there was no treatment, no hope for a normal life. But when Patric reconnects with an old flame, she gets a glimpse of a future beyond her diagnosis. If she’s capable of love, it must mean that she isn’t a like the madmen and evil villains in pop culture. With the help of her sweetheart (and some curious characters she meets along the way) she embarks on a mission to prove that the millions of Americans who share her diagnosis aren’t all monsters either.
This is the inspiring story of Patric’s journey to unlock the true nature of sociopathy and build a life of love and hope against all odds.
All are welcome! No registration required.
Discussion Questions
1.Did reading Patric Gagne’s life story effect the way you view people who experience empathy and emotions in ways traditionally labeled as “sociopathic”?
2. What early childhood experiences shaped the author’s understanding of her emotions? What did you make of Patric’s relationship with her mother?
3. The author describes how they experience emotions in terms of pressure, tension, and claustrophobia – and that she feels the need to externalize this pressure in order to feel release from it. Can you relate to this at all? What are the similarities and differences between Patric’s description and your own experiences of emotion?
4.What roles do lying and honesty play in the author’s life? Does her view on honesty undergo any changes throughout the memoir? If so, what contributes to these changes?
5. Does the author’s affinity for the nighttime offer any insight into who she is as a person?
6. Patric describes learning to interact with peers through mimicking their behavior. To a certain extent, all people learn through mimicking others. How is Patric’s experience with social mimicry the same and different from what is considered ‘normal’?
7. What are your thoughts on how stealing was a big part of the author’s life growing up? Do you think she feels guilt over these actions?
8. How does Patric’s relationship with David differ from her relationship with others? What do you make of the ways the two connect with each other?
9. What are your thoughts on Patric’s relationship with Max? Do you think they have a positive or negative affect on one another? Is it a mix of both?
10. By the end of the memoir, what viewpoints do you think the author holds about the place and acceptance in society of people w ho experience emotions and empathy like she does?
Upcoming Books
Portrait of a Thief
February 10, 2026
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