Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the book’s ending leave you feeling? Did you interpret Catharine’s wellness retreat as a sign of healing, a continuation of her trauma, or something else entirely?

2. The author’s debut, Such a Bad Influence, explores the dark side of influencer culture. For those who’ve read it, what parallels do you see between that world and the control mechanisms in Little One? How does Little One tap into current cultural fascinations with extreme self-improvement?

3. What was your experience reading the alternating “Then” and “Now” timelines? How did the shifts between them affect the novel’s suspense and your understanding of Catharine’s motivations?

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

1. Catharine builds a new life by performing a version of herself she thinks the world wants to see. Have you ever felt the need to present a curated version of yourself in a new job or social group? How does her experience resonate with the ways people construct identities today?

2. Why do you think Catharine finds it so difficult to be vulnerable with her friend Stella? Have you ever had a friend or acquaintance who made you feel this way? What does their friendship suggest about the limits of connection when one person isn’t being fully honest?

3. What aspects of the farm’s early days made it so appealing to its members? Thinking about your own experiences, at what point can a community’s sense of shared purpose cross the line into something more restrictive or demanding?

4. Have you ever had an “internal voice” that guided your decisions, such as the recurring presence of Catharine’s father’s voice in her mind? How did it shape your actions and self-perception?

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

1. How does the novel tap into the long-standing American fascination with utopian ideals and off-grid living? Where do you see this desire for a “purer” or more authentic way of life reflected in society today?

2. The novel draws a sharp parallel between the control tactics of the cult and the demands of contemporary wellness culture. What specific elements of today’s wellness industry did you see mirrored on the farm, and did the book change how you view the modern pursuit of self-improvement?

3. What does the novel seem to be saying about how our culture consumes and commodifies stories of trauma, especially with the creation of the docuseries? How does Catharine’s decision to take a producer credit complicate her role as a survivor?

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

1. The novel repeatedly presents information that challenges Catharine’s understanding of her own past. How does Muenter use conflicting memories, hidden histories, and new revelations to shape the reader’s relationship with Catharine as a narrator?

2. Many of the novel’s most important turning points occur when Catharine encounters evidence that contradicts what she believes to be true. How does the novel explore the relationship between belief and evidence, and why is that conflict important to Catharine’s development?

3. What do you believe truly motivates Catharine’s father? Is he a genuine, if twisted, idealist, or is his primary goal always the pursuit of absolute power and control over others, particularly Catharine?

4. The idea of a character being unable to escape a powerful, patriarchal figure is a classic theme. How does Catharine’s story compare to a well-known example, like the narrator’s struggle in Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca (1938), and what does Little One add to this conversation about female agency?

5. The Epilogue leaves Catharine’s future open to interpretation. Did you read her wellness retreat as a genuine attempt at healing for others or as her becoming a more polished version of her father? What clues in the final pages led you to your conclusion?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you could read a chapter from the perspective of another character—like Linna, Holly, or Stella—who would you choose? What key event would you want to see through their eyes?

2. Imagine you’re writing the promotional brochure for Catharine’s Wyoming wellness retreat. What language would you use to appeal to potential guests? Discuss whether it would subtly echo the persuasive rhetoric her father used or if it would be entirely different and why.

3. If Little One were adapted into a film, who would you cast in the lead roles of Catharine, her father, and Linna? What scene do you think would be the most powerful or challenging to bring to the screen?