If you loved
What Was She Thinking?
Zoë Heller · Book · 2003
What hooked you in What Was She Thinking? was the way the boundaries of intimacy and obsession blur within toxic relationships.
Films on the same thread
Notes on a Scandal
Richard Eyre · Film · 2006
Like What Was She Thinking?, this adaptation explores the uncomfortable intersection of mentorship and manipulation, focusing on how a veteran teacher's intense possessiveness consumes her life and her friend.
Series on the same thread
My Brilliant Friend
Saverio Costanzo · Series · 2018
If the complex, shifting power dynamics of What Was She Thinking? captivated you, this story offers a similar deep dive into the lifelong, often turbulent bond between two female friends.
Horimiya
Series · 2021
While lighter in tone than What Was She Thinking?, this series mirrors the book's focus on the tension between public personas and the hidden truths people keep from their peers.
New Girl
Elizabeth Meriwether · Series · 2011
Much like the protagonist in What Was She Thinking?, this narrative examines the vulnerabilities of an unconventional woman navigating social isolation and the desire for genuine human connection.
The Affair
Sarah Treem · Series · 2014
This drama echoes the central infidelity and psychological unraveling found in What Was She Thinking?, dissecting how a single affair alters the lives of everyone involved through competing perspectives.
Podcasts on the same thread
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Team Coco & Earwolf · Podcast · 2026
This podcast explores the same uncomfortable social isolation depicted in What Was She Thinking?, specifically examining the difficulty of forming authentic, lasting bonds despite a life spent performing for others.
Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
Esther Perel Global Media · Podcast · 2026
Just as What Was She Thinking? dissects the raw, often messy reality of human obsession, this series provides an intimate look at the complex relationship dynamics that define our deepest struggles.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is What Was She Thinking? told from the perspective of the teacher?
Yes, What Was She Thinking? is narrated by Barbara Covett, a lonely schoolteacher who records the story of her best friend Sheba Hart. Barbara reveals her own personality and intentions as she details Sheba's affair with a pupil at their school.
What is the primary relationship explored in What Was She Thinking?
The core of What Was She Thinking? focuses on the complex friendship between Barbara Covett and the new art teacher, Sheba Hart. Barbara initiates this connection to escape her solitary life, but the narrative centers on the consequences of Sheba's affair with a student.
Does What Was She Thinking? feature any other significant characters besides the teachers?
In What Was She Thinking?, the primary characters are the two teachers, Barbara Covett and Sheba Hart. Aside from the pupil involved in the affair, the description notes that Barbara lives a solitary existence with only her cat, Portia, for company.
Is What Was She Thinking? about a school setting?
Yes, What Was She Thinking? takes place within the environment of St. George’s, where both Barbara Covett and Sheba Hart work. The plot revolves around the professional and personal interactions between the staff and a student involved in an affair.