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Book Club Night Kit
Hollow Bones

Hollow Bones

Jodi Picoult
Cozy night

Jodi Picoult follows a woman who lost her mother on September 11 and grew up to plan for disasters for a living. It's a moving pick for an evening about love, loss and the families that hold us together.

Come In from the Storm

Bring your copy of Hollow Bones and your coziest socks for an evening of chowder, warm mugs and heartfelt conversation. We've prepared for everything except how much we'll feel.

Reading level: Moderate Pages: 464

Best for: Warm-hearted clubs that like a good cry, a long talk and a second helping

Discussion

Warm-up

  1. 1.Molly plans for storms and emergencies for a living. What is your own small comfort ritual when life feels stormy, like a favorite blanket, a recipe or a phone call to someone?
  2. 2.Where did you read most of this book, and was there a moment when you had to close it, take a breath, or grab a tissue before going on?

Digging in

  1. 1.Molly was raised by a father and stepmother who could not have loved her more. Who is someone in your life who mothered you without having to, and how did reading this bring them to mind?
  2. 2.Molly grew up with a quiet dread of disasters. Did any part of her need to be prepared feel familiar to you, and what helps you feel safe enough to let your guard down?
  3. 3.The book asks how we tell ourselves the stories of our lives. Is there a family story you grew up hearing that you now see a little differently, and how does that feel?
  4. 4.Many of us remember exactly where we were on September 11, 2001, and some of us were too young to remember. How did reading this story feel alongside your own memories of that day, or the lack of them?

Going deep

  1. 1.Without giving anything away to anyone still reading, which moment in the book moved you the most, and what do you think it said about how love can survive loss?
  2. 2.By the end, how did your feelings about the idea of being prepared change? Do you think love is something we can ever truly plan for, and did the book leave you feeling more comforted or more unsettled?

On the table & to sip

To eat

Rhode Island Clam Chowder in Mugs
This clear-broth chowder is a nod to Molly's Rhode Island home. Served in mugs, it's easy to cradle on the couch, and you can make it a day ahead.
Warm Johnnycakes with Maple Butter
These cornmeal griddle cakes are a classic Rhode Island comfort food, as homey as a family kitchen. Make them before guests arrive and keep them warm in a low oven.
Pantry Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream
Most of what it takes is already in your pantry, a gentle nod to Molly's love of being prepared. It makes the whole house smell like being looked after.

To sip

Hot Coffee Milk (no alcohol)
Coffee milk is Rhode Island's official state drink. Stir coffee syrup into steamed milk for a sweet, nostalgic mug that tastes like childhood.
Mulled Apple Cider (no alcohol)
A slow cooker of cider with cinnamon and cloves keeps the room warm and fragrant all evening.
Fireside Irish Coffee
A warm, grown-up nightcap with a nod to the Fitzgerald family name. Top with softly whipped cream.

Run of show

7:00
Settle In
Welcome guests with coffee milk or cider, soft music and blankets near the seats.
7:15
Chowder and Chat
Pass around mugs of chowder and johnnycakes while people catch up.
7:35
Warm-Up Circle
Go around with the two warm-up questions. Keep it light, and anyone can pass.
7:55
Heart of the Book
Move into the theme questions. Let the conversation wander into personal stories.
8:40
Crisp and Trivia
Serve the warm apple crisp and play a relaxed round of trivia, with no score-keeping required.
9:00
Deep Talk and Nightcap
Pour Irish coffees or more cider, share the deep questions and fill out scorecards before saying goodnight.

Host tips

  • Grief and September 11 may be personal for some guests, so open by saying anyone is welcome to share or just listen, and keep a box of tissues nearby.
  • Before the deep questions, ask if everyone has finished, and invite anyone still reading to step out for a refill.
  • Make the chowder and crisp topping the day before so you can spend the evening with guests instead of at the stove.

Playlist

Soft, hopeful acoustic songs about home, shelter and the people who carry us through

  1. 01 Blackbird - The Beatles
  2. 02 Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
  3. 03 Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
  4. 04 Shelter from the Storm - Bob Dylan
  5. 05 Slipping Through My Fingers - ABBA
  6. 06 Fix You - Coldplay
  7. 07 Home - Phillip Phillips
  8. 08 The Rising - Bruce Springsteen

Trivia

  1. 1.Which state is Molly's workplace, the Department for Emergency Preparedness, located in? (Rhode Island)
  2. 2.What is Rhode Island's official state drink? (Coffee milk)
  3. 3.How old was Molly on September 11, 2001? (Two months old)
  4. 4.Which Jodi Picoult novel about two sisters was made into a 2009 film starring Cameron Diaz? (My Sister's Keeper)
  5. 5.Which university did Jodi Picoult attend for her undergraduate creative writing studies? (Princeton University)
  6. 6.Which Picoult novel, co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan, was published in 2022? (Mad Honey)
  7. 7.The title Hollow Bones brings to mind a feature of which animals, whose light bones help them fly? (Birds)
  8. 8.By area, where does Rhode Island rank among the 50 US states? (It is the smallest)

Bookmarks

Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.

Hollow Bones
Hollow Bones
Hollow Bones

Rate the book

Tug on the Heartstrings☆☆☆☆☆
Warmth of the Family Bonds☆☆☆☆☆
Tissue Count☆☆☆☆☆
Cozy Reading Factor☆☆☆☆☆
Lingering Hope☆☆☆☆☆
This book made me want to call: ______________________
The moment I needed a warm mug: ______________________
One word for how it left me feeling: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming

We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.