Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Think about your initial reaction to the “Quitters Club” pact. Did it seem empowering to you, or did it feel reckless? How did your opinion of the pact evolve as the friends navigated the unexpected and often difficult consequences of their decisions?

2. The novel’s premise hinges on a group of friends making a collective decision to change their lives. Have you read other stories that explore a similar theme, like Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale (1992)? How does this book’s approach to female friendship compare to others you have encountered?

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

1. Marie teaches a popular university class called “How to Say No,” yet she struggles to establish boundaries in her own marriage. Think about a time when you knew what the “right” advice was but found it challenging to apply in your own life. What makes it so difficult to bridge the gap between what we know and what we do?

2. Lucy decides to quit her writing career to protect her love of storytelling from the pressures and disappointments of the publishing industry. Have you ever felt the need to step away from a passion or hobby because the reality of it was becoming a source of stress rather than joy?

3. Brooke and Mitch’s choice to sell their home and belongings to travel the world shows a radical life change. What’s the biggest “quit” you’ve ever made or dreamed of making in your own life? What did you hope to achieve by letting go?

4. The friends’ shared history at Ohio University shapes their adult relationships. In your experience, do long-standing bonds from formative years provide a unique kind of support, or can they sometimes hold people in old patterns?

5. Collins decides to never reveal to her friends that she attempted suicide. Have you ever kept a secret because you believed the truth would do more harm than good?

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

1. Brooke and Mitch struggle with infertility treatments and eventually reconcile themselves to not becoming parents. How do you think that the decision to have or not have children is portrayed in contemporary society? Why is it challenging for many people to accept that (for a variety of reasons) they may not become parents?

2. Lucy’s essay about creative burnout goes viral, tapping into a widespread cultural conversation. In what ways does her story speak to broader anxieties about the pressure to monetize our passions and the challenges of sustaining a creative career today?

3. In an attempt to salvage her marriage, Marie proposes exploring living apart while remaining married. Do you think that non-traditional arrangements (such as living apart or exploring polyamory) can help to sustain long-term relationships? Why have these types of non-traditional relationship practices become more mainstream?

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

1. What role does the setting of Athens, Ohio, play in the novel? How does the author use this university town, a place rooted in the friends’ shared past, to explore themes of nostalgia, starting over, and the possibility of a second act?

3. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of the four women. How did this narrative structure influence your connection to the characters? Who do you consider to be the protagonist of the novel?

4. The final revelation about Collins’s fall reframes her entire story. In what ways is this narrative technique similar to or different from how other novels, like Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies (2014), use a central secret to explore the complexities of female friendship?

5. The husbands, Mitch and Kyle, function as foils for each other. What do their sharply contrasting reactions to their wives’ decisions to “quit” suggest about different models of partnership, support, and emotional labor in a relationship?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. At the end of the novel, Lucy and Marie launch a multimedia brand based on their “How to Quit” and “How to Say No” concepts. If you were producing an episode of their new podcast, what specific topic would you focus on, and who would you invite as a guest?

2. Imagine you are casting a film adaptation of The Quitters Club. Which actors would you choose to play the four main friends: Marie, Lucy, Brooke, and Collins? What qualities would you look for to bring these complex and relatable characters to life on screen?

3. Picture the friends two years after the Epilogue. Choose one character and write a brief “postcard” from her to one of the other friends, sharing an update on her life. What would Marie write to Collins from her new home, or what would Brooke write to Lucy from London?