83 pages • 2-hour read
Where the Forest Meets the Stars
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of illness, mental illness, ableism, and gender discrimination.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. Did you believe that Ursa was a real alien? Did you want to believe this? Why or why not?
2. Did the ending of the story surprise you? How did it compare to what you were expecting?
3. Have you read other works (fiction or nonfiction) that deal with the aftermath of cancer or another life-threatening illness or event—for instance, Suleika Jaouad’s Between Two Kingdoms? How does this novel compare?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Ursa manages her traumatic experience through storytelling and imagination. Have you ever created an imagined scenario to deal with a difficult time?
2. Which character did you identify with most, and why?
3. How did the forest setting affect your reading of the novel? Is Jo’s cottage somewhere you’d like to spend your summer, or would you find the loneliness oppressive?
4. Several characters benefit from the healing power of love. When has love—whether romantic, familial, or otherwise—healed you in some way?
5. How did you feel about Katharine’s extramarital relationship? Did you disagree with her actions, or did you empathize with them?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. Consider the way the novel presents societal attitudes toward mental illness. How do those attitudes impact the central characters? What critique (if any) is the novel offering?
2. Jo worries that her altered body makes her less of a woman. How does the novel present femininity, and how does femininity manifest in nonphysical ways? How does its portrayal intervene in societal debates about gender and gender norms?
3. Societal views on parentless children and the foster system play a pivotal role in the novel. Is this system beneficial to those it tries to help or detrimental? Explain your reasoning.
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. One of the central characters is a child, though this is a novel written for adults. How does the inclusion of a child’s perspective impact the way the story is told?
2. Discuss the relationship the novel posits between identity and the body. How does each character define themselves through their body in different ways?
3. What does Jo’s dream home symbolize in her journey? How does it represent different things to different people?
4. Compare and contrast the different parent-child relationships that the novel presents. How is each character shaped by these relationships?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. Write or outline a short story about Ursa when she’s grown up. How does she change in the intervening years, and how does she stay the same?
2. Create a mood board that represents the novel’s major themes. How do the various thematic images resonate with each character?
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