Book Club Night Kit

Under Story

Chloe Benjamin

Cozy night

A scientist hiding out as a dishwasher at the bottom of the world has to face her past when a mysterious glowing light shows up across the ice. It's a big, tender story about hiding, wonder, and second chances, and it's perfect for talking over with a mug in your hands.

Come In From the Cold

Join us for a snug evening of chili, cocoa, and conversation about Under Story by Chloe Benjamin. Bring your coziest socks and whatever the Arc made you feel.

Reading level: Moderate Pages: 512

Best for: Warm, chatty groups who love emotional literary fiction with a touch of the uncanny and plenty of snacks

Discussion

Warm-up

1.Laurel picks the far edge of the world as her hiding place. If you needed a quiet place to disappear for a while, where would you go, and what one comfort item would you bring?
2.The book is set in a place that's cold, dark, and far from everything. What moment or image made you want to curl up tighter while you read, and where were you reading it?

Digging in

1.Laurel chooses simple, steady work over the career she used to have. Have you ever found unexpected peace in a humble routine, and did her dishwashing days bring back any of your own memories?
2.The Arc seems almost alive to Laurel, and it holds her attention. When have you felt pulled toward something beautiful and unexplained, like a night sky, a landscape, or a strange coincidence, and how did it make you feel?
3.McMurdo is full of people who have ended up at the bottom of the world for their own reasons. What did the book make you feel about the little communities that form in isolated places, and have you ever belonged to one?
4.Laurel keeps her past a secret from the people around her. Did you feel protective of her, frustrated with her, or both? When has keeping something to yourself felt like shelter to you?

Going deep

1.Without giving away where things go, how did it feel to watch Laurel and Eli share the same small world again? Did the book change how you think about reconnecting with someone you once loved?
2.By the last pages, did you feel the book was more about running away or about finding a way back? What feeling did it leave you with when you closed it, and has anything stayed with you since?

On the table & to sip

To eat

Big-Pot Galley Chili with a Toppings Bar

A nod to the station galley where Laurel works. It's hearty and easy to make ahead, and guests can load up on cheese, sour cream, and scallions while they settle in.

Skillet Cornbread with Honey Butter

Warm, golden, and made for sharing. The honey butter glows a little like the Arc across the ice.

Snowfield Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate cookies rolled in powdered sugar so they crack like sea ice. You can bake them the day before, and they're lovely next to cocoa.

To sip

Base Camp Hot Chocolate Bar (no alcohol)

Rich cocoa with marshmallows, whipped cream, and peppermint sticks. It's the ultimate cold-weather comfort and fully alcohol-free.

Arc Glow Spiced Cider

Mulled apple cider with cinnamon, clove, and orange, plus an optional splash of spiced rum. It keeps the room smelling warm all night.

Long Night Hot Toddy

Whiskey, honey, lemon, and hot water. It's a classic thaw-you-out drink for a story set in a land of long darkness.