Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel closes with Nico observing that both he and Martine’s family have found their version of “a better life” (290). Did you find this ending satisfying, unsettling, or something else entirely? What do you think the novel ultimately says about what constitutes a better life, and for whom?

2. How does this novel’s exploration of a domestic crisis compare to Lionel Shriver’s other work, particularly We Need to Talk About Kevin? If you’ve read her work before, did you see familiar thematic threads or a shift in her style and focus?

3. As a work of social satire, the book walks a fine line between character-driven drama and political commentary. Do you feel it was successful in balancing these elements, or did it lean too heavily in one direction?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Nico begins the novel in a state of self-imposed inertia. Have you ever felt a similar desire to step away from the pressures of life? What made you feel that way, and how did you resolve or assimilate these feelings?

2. Gloria’s decision to open her home is the plot’s main catalyst. Think of a time when you offered charity or hospitality. Were your motives purely altruistic? How did this shape what followed, and to what extent did it follow your expectations?

3. The Bonaventura family is divided by ideological conflict. Have there been times when your own family, or another social group, have been divided in this way? What happened, and how did you learn from the experience?

4. The novel pits a survivalist mindset against bourgeois complacency. Where do you think you sit on that scale? What lengths would you go to protect your own lifestyle, and under what provocation?

5. Nico tries to explain what home means to him. What does home mean to you, and why? In what ways do you express this meaning in the way you live?

6. Martine tells Nico that he’s not encaminado, meaning he isn’t on a path toward becoming a man. How easy did you find it to a realize a sense of identity and purpose into adulthood? What did this process teach you about life and yourself?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. This story is deeply rooted in the specific political context of the 2020s migrant crisis, sanctuary-city policies, and New York’s “right to shelter” mandate. How effectively does the novel use this real-world backdrop to explore its themes?

2. How does the novel use the failure of institutions to satirize US social structures and the social contract?

3. The narrative gives voice to a wide spectrum of political views, from Gloria’s progressive idealism to Carlin’s and Vernon’s restrictionist arguments. Did the story seem to favor one perspective over another? Why or why not?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Martine is presented with deep ambiguity. Do you see her primarily as a ruthless predator who orchestrated the family’s downfall or as a desperate survivor who merely seized opportunities as they arose?

2. Carlin is a key supporting character. How does his portrayal as a certain archetype of his generation, class, and gender support the novel’s themes?

3. In what ways does Shriver use food to signal relative status, especially when connected to class, race, and gender?

4. What is the effect of telling the story primarily from Nico’s cynical and detached perspective? How did his role as an unreliable narrator influence your interpretation of characters like Martine and Gloria?

5. How does the novel draw on other stories that explore class conflict and social parasitism, such as the films Parasite or The Purge? What do these narratives suggest about the stability of social hierarchies?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Gloria tells Nico that she did something “rash” by changing her will and planned to “take it back” (226). Imagine a scenario where Gloria survives the final confrontation. Write a scene where she tells her children what she has decided to do. How would they react?

2. The city’s “Big Apple, Big Heart” sponsorship housing program draws on a real-life proposal. Other communities have enacted similar programs, such as the UK’s “Home for Ukraine” initiative. Research these programs and their pros and cons; design your own program for where you live, putting these lessons into practice.

3. Imagine you are a neighbor on the Bonaventuras’ street in Ditmas Park, interviewed by the police or a journalist. What would you have observed happening at the house over those 10 months, and what would you reveal to your interviewer?