Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel’s central conflict hinges on Claire’s request for Eliot to move out so her friends can take over her end-of-life care. How did you react to this decision initially, and did your perspective on her choice or her motivations change by the end of the book?

2. How does this novel fit with or differ from Ann Packer’s other works, such as The Dive from Clausen’s Pier (2002), which also examine relationships under extreme pressure? If this was your first time reading her work, what was your impression of her writing style?

3. What part of the story has stayed with you the most since you finished reading? Was it a particular character’s journey, a specific scene like the confrontation in Maine, or the novel’s overall emotional tone?

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

1. Claire seeks a specific kind of communal, emotional support from her female friends. Do you have certain people in your life who offer a kind of connection you can’t find with anyone else? What makes these relationships unique? 

2. Eliot’s cooking and his men’s dinner club become a vital outlet for him. How important are personal rituals or hobbies for you in maintaining a sense of self when you’re facing overwhelming circumstances?

3. The characters often reshape their memories to cope with the present. How reliable do you think your long-term memory is? Do you think your memory ever alters events in subtle ways to meet your emotional needs?

4. What does Eliot’s late-in-life realization that he has always conceded to, rather than agreed with, Claire reveal about their marriage? In your experience, can a partnership be strong if one person consistently defers to the other?

5. Claire’s secret trip to Maine is a final attempt to reclaim a part of her pre-illness identity. Think of a place in your life that holds significant personal memories. What makes this location important to you?

6. Claire eventually explains she wanted to spare herself the burden of having to “put Eliot back together.” When have you felt responsible for managing someone else’s emotions? How did you react to this pressure?

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

1. The novel highlights potential gendered differences in caregiving, with Claire seeking emotional expression from her friends while Eliot focuses on practical tasks. To what extent do you think these portrayals reflect broader societal norms about how men and women are expected to provide support?

2. At the heart of the story is the theme of Asserting Personal Agency in the Face of Death, a core tenet of the modern hospice movement. How does Claire’s story make you think about the concept of a “good death” in contemporary society? What are the complexities of honoring a loved one’s final wishes when they cause pain to others?

3. Eliot’s friends at his dinner club show their support with a silent, unified gesture of placing their palms on their chests. In what ways does the novel explore male friendship and the different, often less verbal, ways men communicate comfort and grief?

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

1. What does Josh’s description of his father as a “benign blob” reveal about Eliot’s character at the start of the novel? How does Eliot’s explosive anger in Maine represent a crucial turning point for him?

2. How does the house itself transform from a symbol of Eliot and Claire’s shared life into a contested territory that reflects their emotional distance and the fracturing of their marriage?

3. Eliot’s relationship with food seems to track his emotional state. How does the motif of cooking function throughout the story, from the avgolemono soup he brings Claire to the lamb dish he prepares while she is secretly in Maine?

4. The story is told almost entirely through Eliot’s consciousness. How does this narrative choice affect your perception of Claire and her motivations? Did you find yourself sympathizing more with one character over the other because of this perspective?

5. Stuart, Holly’s ex-husband, offers the theory of a “category error” to explain Claire’s decision. What role does his outside perspective play in helping both Eliot and the reader understand the central conflict?

6. This book fits squarely in the genre of the domestic novel, similar to works by authors like Elizabeth Strout and Anne Tyler. In what ways does confining the majority of the action to the home amplify the emotional stakes for the characters?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you could add a chapter from another character’s perspective, who would you choose? What insights might Holly’s, Josh’s, or Claire’s point of view offer that we don’t get from Eliot’s narration?

2. Imagine an alternate scenario where Eliot firmly refuses Claire’s request to leave the house from the beginning. How do you think their final months together would have unfolded differently? Would their relationship have been repaired, or would the tension have become unbearable?

3. The Epilogue gives us a glimpse into Eliot’s future. What do you imagine his life looks like five years after the novel ends? Has he sold the house, and what has become of his relationships with his children and friends?