The Wren, the Wren

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did Enright’s choice to structure The Wren, The Wren as a braided narrative alternating between Nell and Carmel’s perspectives affect your understanding of their complex relationship?

2. The novel explores how poetry can both capture beauty and obscure truth. How does this compare to other novels about art’s dual nature, such as Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch?

3. How did you react to Chapter 5, in which the novel breaks out of its braided perspectives to introduce the perspective of Carmel’s father, Phil? Did this new perspective enhance or disrupt the story?

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

1. Throughout the novel, Nell worries about the impact of climate change on species and the environment. When have you experienced anxiety about something that felt beyond your control? 

2. Both Nell and Carmel have complicated relationships with Phil’s poetry—one seeking connection through it, the other avoiding it. Is there an artist whose work has affected different members of your family in contrasting ways?

3. The gap between public persona and private reality is central to Phil’s character. When have you had to reconcile your personal knowledge of someone with their public image?

4. The novel suggests that love is “a tide” that ebbs and flows. How does this metaphor resonate with your own experiences of love?

5. Nell travels the world seeking distance from her problems but ultimately returns home with new perspective. When has physical distance helped you gain clarity about a difficult situation?

6. Carmel’s suspicion toward David stems partly from his English background. Have cultural differences ever influenced your initial impression of someone?

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

1. The relationship between Ireland and England subtly surfaces in Carmel’s reaction to David. In what ways does Enright use this personal dynamic to comment on the history between these two nations and Ireland’s current status as a post-colonial country?

2. How does the novel’s treatment of Phil McDaragh reflect changing societal attitudes toward separating an artist’s work from their personal failings?

3. The novel takes place partly during the COVID-19 pandemic without heavily emphasizing it. What unstated impacts might this context have on the themes of isolation and connection?

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

1. What effect does Enright’s technique of interspersing Phil’s poetry throughout the narrative have on your reading experience?

2. Each main character has a unique relationship with language—Phil elevates it, Carmel teaches it practically, and Nell struggles to define experiences through it. How do these approaches reflect their core personalities?

3. What does the novel’s final scene, with Nell watching a bullfinch and recognizing language’s limitations, suggest about the book’s central themes?

4. Phil’s childhood encounter with the badger cub illuminates his character and provides context for his later behavior. What parallels exist between this scene and Nell’s final encounter with the bullfinch?

5. The novel explores the cyclical nature of trauma through Carmel’s parenting. Where do you see moments of potential healing or breaking of these cycles?

6. Nell’s relationships with Felim and David represent contrasting experiences of love. How do these relationships drive her character development?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine an epilogue to the novel set five years later. What changes might have occurred in Nell and Carmel’s relationship?

2. If you were to add another chapter from Phil’s perspective, what period of his life would you choose to explore?

3. Nell considers writing a travel guide for anxious people based on her experiences. What would your version of this guide include?

Need more inspiration for your next meeting? Browse all of our Book Club Resources