Book Club Night Kit
The Hired Girl
Laura Amy Schlitz
Cozy night
A big-hearted, diary-style coming-of-age story about a farm girl in 1911 who runs away to become a hired girl in Baltimore, chasing books, faith, and a life of her own. It is tender, funny, and easy to sink into on a cozy night.
A Cozy Night with The Hired Girl
Come curl up with cocoa, soup, and warm hearts as we spend an unhurried evening with Joan's hopeful diary. Slippers and soft sweaters strongly encouraged.
Reading level: Easy
Best for: a warm, unhurried club that loves character-driven stories and sharing a little of themselves
Discussion
Warm-up
- 1.Joan pours her whole heart into her diary. If your teenage self had kept a diary, what small daily comfort would show up on every page?
- 2.Was there a book as a young person that felt like a door opening for you, the way reading does for Joan? Tell us about it.
Digging in
- 1.Joan longs for a place that feels like home rather than just a house. When in the story did you feel that warm sense of belonging settle in, and did it remind you of a home of your own?
- 2.So much tenderness in this book happens in kitchens and around ordinary chores. Which homey, everyday moment stayed with you and left you feeling cared for?
- 3.Joan finds unexpected kindness from people quite different from her. Who in the story most comforted or moved you, and what did their gentleness stir up in you?
- 4.Faith means something deep and personal to Joan, and to others in the household in different ways. How did watching her hold onto what she believes make you feel, whatever your own beliefs?
Going deep
- 1.Joan is dreamy, dramatic, and sometimes gets herself into a tangle by leading with her heart. Did you find yourself protective of her, amused by her, or a little of both, and why do you think she got under your skin?
- 2.By the last pages, Joan has grown in ways that feel earned and gentle. Without giving anything away, what did you most want for her, and did the story leave you feeling tucked in and hopeful?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Warm apple hand pies
Nods to Joan's farm roots and a working kitchen, homey and a little indulgent, easy to make ahead
Buttered soft rolls with honey
The kind of comforting bread a hired girl might bake, simple and nurturing to pass around
Hearty potato and leek soup
A cozy turn-of-the-century kitchen staple that fills the room with warmth and invites lingering
To sip
Spiced hot cocoa (no alcohol)
A gentle, indulgent hug in a mug that suits a fireside, low-pressure evening
Honeyed black tea with milk (no alcohol)
Quiet, everyday comfort that fits the household kitchen mood
Mulled red wine
Warm, fragrant, and a touch celebratory for a relaxed grown-up gathering
Run of show
7:00
Warm welcome
Greet everyone with cocoa or tea and let them settle into soft seats, no rush
7:20
Soup and rolls
Share the comfort food while people ease into easy chatter
7:40
Warm-up questions
Open with the two gentle warm-ups so everyone finds their voice
8:00
Heart of the talk
Move through the theme questions, letting tangents and personal stories breathe
8:40
Hand pies and deeper talk
Bring out dessert and drift into the two deeper, hopeful questions
9:05
Scorecards and trivia
Wind down with the playful trivia and scorecards before goodbyes
Host tips
- Keep the lighting low and the blankets handy so the room feels safe and unhurried
- Let silences sit, this vibe rewards gentle pauses over rapid-fire questions
- Invite personal stories but never pressure anyone to share more than they want
Playlist
Soft, unhurried, parlor-warm strings and gentle piano for candlelit conversation
- 01 Clair de Lune - Claude Debussy
- 02 Gymnopedie No. 1 - Erik Satie
- 03 The Swan - Camille Saint-Saens
- 04 Meditation from Thais - Jules Massenet
- 05 Salut d'Amour - Edward Elgar
- 06 Traumerei - Robert Schumann
- 07 Nocturne in E-flat Major - Frederic Chopin
- 08 Simple Gifts - Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss
Trivia
- 1.Who wrote The Hired Girl? (Laura Amy Schlitz)
- 2.In what year was the novel published? (2015)
- 3.In what form is the story told? (As the narrator's personal diary)
- 4.Which American city does Joan travel to for work? (Baltimore)
- 5.Around what year is the story set? (1911)
- 6.Laura Amy Schlitz won which major children's award for an earlier book, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!? (The Newbery Medal)
- 7.What is the profession that gives the book its title? (A hired girl, or domestic servant)
- 8.Joan's great love and comfort throughout the diary is what pastime? (Reading books)
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“A borrowed book, a warm kitchen, a heart learning to hope.”
The Hired Girl
Laura Amy Schlitz
bookclubnight.com
“Every ordinary chore hides a little room for dreaming.”
The Hired Girl
Laura Amy Schlitz
bookclubnight.com
“Far from home, she found a place to belong.”
The Hired Girl
Laura Amy Schlitz
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Coziness☆☆☆☆☆
Heart and warmth☆☆☆☆☆
Joan's diary voice☆☆☆☆☆
Comfort-read factor☆☆☆☆☆
Left me feeling hopeful☆☆☆☆☆
One word for how this book made you feel: ______________________
The moment that comforted me most: ______________________
A younger-self dream it stirred up: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.