Biological War
Cut along the dashed lines and pass the cards around the table.
Where were you (on which couch, chair or bed) when you read this, and did you need a comfort ritual nearby to get through the tougher parts?
When you're feeling a little unwell or worried, what's your go-to comfort food, drink or small ritual that makes you feel looked after?
Was there a moment while reading when you put the book down just to breathe, hug someone or check on a loved one? What made you reach for that comfort?
The book is about fragility and breakdown. Did reading it make you more grateful for the everyday people who keep us healthy, like nurses, pharmacists, scientists or neighbors? Is there someone you thought of in particular?
Has your own life ever been touched by a stretch of illness or a health scare, in your family or in the wider world? Do you feel comfortable sharing what helped you and the people around you cope?
What does feeling safe at home mean to you, and did this book shift that feeling at all, whether just a little or a lot?
Books like this can leave us feeling anxious or hopeful, and sometimes both at once. Looking back over the whole book, which feeling stayed with you most, and what do you do with a feeling like that once the book is closed?
If a real crisis like the ones the book imagines ever came, what small acts of care would you most want to give (or receive) from the people in this room and your wider community?