Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What aspect of the novel initially drew you to it? Was it the 1980s setting, the small-town Texas context, the mother-daughter plot, or something else?

2. In All the Little Houses, May Cobb revisits some elements from her previous novel, The Hunting Wives, including secrets lurking behind the façade of an idyllic Texas town. Have you read The Hunting Wives (or watched the Netflix adaptation)? In what ways do the novels differ?

3. Would you describe All the Little Houses as a thriller? Are there other genres or labels that seem more appropriate?

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

1. Although she is now wealthy and influential, Charleigh’s perspective is deeply shaped by the experience of growing up poor. Are there any experiences from your past that you consider to be formative? What experiences or history do you consider to be most definitive in shaping your present identity?

2. A number of characters incorrectly assume that Luke is secretly dating Blair. Have you ever made a guess or assumption about a situation or interpersonal dynamic that turned out to be incorrect? What information or biases informed your assumption?

3. Jackson agonizes over whether to tell Charleigh about her husband’s infidelity. Have you ever had to decide whether to tell someone about their partner’s betrayal, or to expose some other form of deception? Do you think that being a good friend requires one to do so?

4. Jackson longs to live as his authentic self as a gay man, but feels pressured into hiding his sexual identity in his conservative, small-town milieu. Have you ever found yourself in a place or situation where you felt you could not be fully yourself? How did you adapt, cope, or rebel against these circumstances?

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

1. Jackson struggles with anti-gay bias and difficulty finding community while living in a small Texas town in the 1980s. To what extent has contemporary culture made it easier for people to be openly gay? What barriers remain? What factors are most likely to inform whether (and to what degree) someone is openly “out”?

2. Charleigh fixates on her daughter’s social and romantic life. How does her behavior reflect current discourses and concerns around “helicopter parenting”?

3. While the novel is set in the 1980s, aspects of Abigail and Ethan’s lifestyle choices echo the “tradwife” movement popularized via social media. What makes Abigail or other women with seemingly all-natural, traditional lives appealing? What insecurities might these lifestyles provoke?

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

1. The interstitials reveal a crime long before the details of the victim or perpetrator become clear. How does this technique build and enhance suspense across the other plot lines?

2. The chapters recounted from the point of view of adult characters (Charleigh and Jackson) are narrated in the third person, but the chapters from Nellie and Jane’s point of view are narrated in the first person. What is the impact of this structural choice?

3. How does the summertime setting impact the mood and tone of the novel?

4. Examine the novel’s depiction of femininity and gender roles. How do various female characters conform to, or rebel against, expectations for women and/or gender dynamics in the text?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If the novel was set in the present, rather than the 1980s, how would modern technology reshape the plot? Pick a key scene such as the Fourth of July party or Blair’s accident and rewrite it with the presence of cellphones, including camera and video capabilities.

2. Imagine you are a producer adapting this novel for a television series. Which character’s perspective would you center the story on, and why? Would you reveal the twists in the same order as the book, or restructure the narrative for the screen?