What are good book club discussion questions for The Great Wherever?

Spoiler-free questions to get the conversation going: Before we say a word about the book: what is the one dish that means home to you, and who made it?; Where did you do most of your reading for this one, and did the book make you want to call someone?; Sanders is so good at the feeling of walking back into a family space after being away. What did that stir up in you, if anything?; Which small moment in this book did you find yourself sitting with for a minute before turning the page, and what made it land?; The title points toward somewhere out there, beyond the familiar. What was your own "great wherever" at some point, the place or life you imagined leaving for?.

What food and drinks should I serve at a The Great Wherever book club?

Food: A big pan of baked mac and cheese, browned on top, Skillet cornbread with honey butter, and Warm peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Drinks: Spiced apple cider on the stove, Bourbon in sweet tea, over a little ice, and Hot toddy with honey and lemon.

Cozy night

The Great WhereverBook club questions, food & host guide

Shannon Sanders

Picked by

Reese's Book Club

A cozy book club night for The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders. Includes 8 spoiler-free discussion questions, food and drink pairings, a playlist, and a host guide, ready to print and share.

A club that cares more about swapping family stories than dissecting structure, and likes a second helping of dessert

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Shannon Sanders writes family with such tenderness that reading her feels like being handed a warm mug and told to sit down a while. "The Great Wherever" follows the pull between the people who raised us and the places we go, making it an easy book to talk about with people you love.

Why it works for clubs

Family bonds and chosen distance give everyone something personal to offer
Short, intimate scenes mean nobody feels behind if they read slowly
Sanders writes gatherings, kitchens, and homecomings, perfect for a night around a table
Quiet emotional moments spark stories from your own relatives, not just the book

Themes & mood

Family warmth Homecoming Tender Quietly moving Generational

Browse all themes →

Reading level

Moderate

Warm-up questions

1 Before we say a word about the book: what is the one dish that means home to you, and who made it?
2 Where did you do most of your reading for this one, and did the book make you want to call someone?

Digging in

1 Sanders is so good at the feeling of walking back into a family space after being away. What did that stir up in you, if anything?
2 Which small moment in this book did you find yourself sitting with for a minute before turning the page, and what made it land?
3 The title points toward somewhere out there, beyond the familiar. What was your own "great wherever" at some point, the place or life you imagined leaving for?
4 When a relative in this book was difficult, did you find yourself taking sides or softening toward them? What does that say about how you handle your own people?

Going deep

1 By the time you closed the book, did you feel more forgiving of the characters than when you started? Where did that shift happen for you?
2 Sanders lets a lot go unsaid between family members. Thinking across the whole book, what did the silences feel like to you, protective, lonely, or something warmer, and does that match the silences in your own family?

On the table

A big pan of baked mac and cheese, browned on top

The dish that shows up when family shows up. Nothing in this book's emotional register is better matched than something scooped out of a shared pan.

Skillet cornbread with honey butter

Homey, a little indulgent, and built for a table where people are leaning back and talking. Bake it ahead and warm it while guests arrive.

Warm peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream

A dessert of homecomings and grandmother kitchens, and the sweet soft landing for a conversation about family.

To sip

Spiced apple cider on the stove No alcohol

Non-alcoholic, smells like the whole house is taking care of you. Keep the pot warm all night with cinnamon sticks and orange peel.

Bourbon in sweet tea, over a little ice

A gentle nod to Southern family tables, slow sipping for a slow conversation.

Hot toddy with honey and lemon

The thing someone's aunt would press into your hands and insist you drink. Warm, soothing, and quietly indulgent.

Soft soul and warm piano, the sound of a kitchen radio late in the evening with everyone still sitting around

Tap a track to play it. Full songs play when you're signed into Spotify.

You're invited

Come sit a while: a cozy night with The Great Wherever

We are reading Shannon Sanders's "The Great Wherever" and gathering around warm cider, baked mac and cheese, and peach cobbler. Bring a family story and wear something soft.

Trivia

1

Who wrote "The Great Wherever"?

Answer: Shannon Sanders.
2

What kind of book was Shannon Sanders's debut, a novel or a story collection?

Answer: A story collection, "Company," published in 2023.
3

Besides fiction, what profession is Shannon Sanders known for?

Answer: She is a lawyer, writing alongside her legal career.
4

What region's family life does Sanders's fiction most often center?

Answer: Black American family life, frequently in and around the Washington, D.C. area.
5

Sanders's debut collection "Company" takes its title from a word with a double meaning. What are the two senses?

Answer: Guests or visitors, and companionship or keeping someone company.
6

What recurring subject threads through Sanders's work?

Answer: Extended family across generations, including mothers, sons, aunts, and cousins.
7

"Company" won a major award for emerging writers in 2024. Which one?

Answer: The PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for a debut short story collection.
8

What genre shelf does "The Great Wherever" sit on?

Answer: Literary fiction, family-centered contemporary fiction.