Alan Opts Out
Cut along the dashed lines and pass the cards around the table.
Alan runs off to a backyard playhouse. Where was your childhood hideout (a fort, a treehouse, a closet corner), and how did it feel to be tucked away in there?
If you opted out of one small modern thing for a month, just for your own peace, what would it be, and what do you think you'd fill that space with?
When did you find yourself laughing with Alan, and when did you want to bring him a mug of something warm and sit with him for a while?
The novel asks what we really need. Name one thing (not a gadget) that makes your home feel like home. Did the book make you appreciate it more?
Alan's wife works hard to keep their place in a tight-knit social circle. Did her side of things tug at you? Have you ever felt that quiet pressure to keep up and belong?
Which scene or moment felt the most comforting to read, the one you'd happily revisit on a rainy afternoon?
By the last page, did the story leave you feeling hopeful about the ways people who love each other can meet in the middle? What stayed with you emotionally after you closed the book?
Thinking back across the whole novel, did it change how you feel about the things you own or the things you want? Is there a small change you're tempted to make, or one you've decided you're perfectly happy without?