BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS FOR A QUIET LIFE

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**This post contains book club questions for A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella. If you have not yet read the book these questions may contain spoilers.**

A Quiet Life is a tender, emotionally powerful novel that explores how grief can push us toward unexpected new experiences and connections.

Chuck, Kirsten, and Ella have all experienced the loss of someone they have loved dearly. As their stories converge, they help each other through acts of kindness. Ultimately creating bonds that will last a lifetime.

If you're looking for your next book club book, A Quiet Life will spark discussion on heartache, loss, and the journey of finding happiness.

Use these book club questions to get the discussion started. For the 8.5 x11 version, click here.

Or see the complete list of questions below.

Book Club Questions for A Quiet Life:

Each of our characters has experienced a great loss and is learning what their new normal is. Is there a specific character whose journey you related to most?

While replaying his long relationship with Cat, Chuck feels “as if he’s in a supermarket of guilt, and his cart’s overflowing” (pg. 3). Several other characters express similar remorse over the loss of their loved ones. How do you think guilt functions in grief?

Chuck spends a lot of his time stewing over the decision he made about Natasha and the way he handled the conversation with Cat. What do you think it was about Cat and Natasha’s relationship that made Chuck feel insecure? And how did finding Natasha help him get past his roadblock?

Kirsten put her life on hold after her father’s unexpected death and expresses that she’s waiting for a sign from him on what to do next. Do you think people who experience losses often look for signs from their loved ones? Why?

Kirsten said she envisions both David and Grayson hanging off a cliff and she can only save one, and she almost always chooses David. What did you think of the relationships between Kirsten and David versus Kirsten and Grayson?

Book Club Questions Continued Below...

Chuck tries to channel Cat and make the decisions she would if she were still with him. This leads him to deciding to adopt a pig named Frederick and drive to Hilton Head. When he goes to the shelter and Frederick has already been adopted it sends him into a depression. Discuss how you feel when you get excited about something that doesn’t go the way you hoped it would, and how that might affect someone who is already emotionally fragile. What do you think would have happened to Chuck if Kirsten and Ella hadn’t checked on him afterwards?

While Kirsten and Chuck are both dealing with permanent losses, Ella’s missing daughter has the potential to come back into her life. What effect does this comparison have on the overall story that’s being told?

Despite the fact that Chuck, Kirsten, and Ella are going through hard times in their lives, they are often performing acts of kindness for strangers or for each other. How do you think this kindness contributed to their own progress?

While A Quiet Life is filled with loss and grief, it is ultimately an uplifting story. What did you learn from Chuck, Kirsten, and Ella about continuing life after loss?

Discuss your biggest takeaways from this novel.

What was your favorite moment of the book? Your least?

Were you satisfied with the book’s ending? Why or why not?