If your book club is reading The Creatures’ Guide to Caring, I’d be happy to join your discussion virtually or (potentially, if you’re in the Boston area) in person.

Use my contact page to send me a message about your book club and your schedule, and I’ll try to make it work. Ordering copies of the book (such as through Bookshop.org or your local independent bookstore) is especially appreciated!

Looking for discussion questions? Here are some suggestions to get you started:

  • If you’re a parent, how did this book make you think differently about your role in your family—or beyond your family, as a caretaker to others?
  • If you’re not a parent, did this book make you see yourself differently? How?
  • Did reading this remind you of any of your experiences with children (your own or others) and make you see them in a new light? Or your experiences growing up?
  • Was there an animal in the book that you most related to?
  • Was there an animal whose lifestyle seemed most enviable?
  • Were there any revelations about animal—or human—behavior that shocked you, or make you uncomfortable?
  • What tensions did the book reveal between how our society is structured and how humans evolved to live? 
  • Was this book discouraging? Was it reassuring?
  • Did the book make you imagine ways that families’ lives could be improved, either individually or on a societal level? What did this book change for you personally?