Book Club Night Kit

You'll Be Sorry

Lisa Gardner

Cozy night

A grieving couple takes refuge in a New Hampshire lodge that holds its own secrets, which makes this a great pick for a blanket-and-cider evening. It's suspenseful enough to keep everyone turning pages and emotional enough to open up real, heartfelt conversation.

Come In From the Cold: A Fireside Evening with You'll Be Sorry

Bring your coziest socks and your thoughts on Lisa Gardner's New Hampshire lodge story. There will be pot pie, warm cider, and good company by the fire.

Reading level: Easy

Best for: Friends who like a gripping story but would rather curl up and talk about feelings than dissect clues

Discussion

Warm-up

1.Picture yourself arriving at a snowy New Hampshire lodge. What would you need (a certain blanket, drink, or book) to feel at home there on your first night?
2.Where did you do most of your reading for this book, and did the story ever make you pull the covers up a little tighter or double-check the locks?

Digging in

1.This couple goes somewhere new to recover from a tragedy. Have you ever moved or run off somewhere to heal, and did it feel like the place helped or just followed you there?
2.The lodge seems to hold on to memories of what happened there. Is there a place in your life, like a childhood home, a cabin, or a relative's kitchen, that still feels full of the people and moments that passed through it?
3.Grief can pull two people together or quietly push them apart. Which moments between the couple felt tender or familiar to you, and did any of them remind you of how you or someone you love handles loss?
4.When the tension rose, what small comforts in the story (a fire, a meal, a kind word, the landscape) did you find yourself holding on to as a reader?

Going deep

1.By the end, how did your feelings about the lodge itself change? Did it end up feeling more like a refuge or a wound, and what did that stir up in you about the places we choose to heal?
2.Without giving anything away for anyone still reading, which moment in the book stayed with you emotionally after you closed it, and why do you think it hit so close to home?

On the table & to sip

To eat

Chicken Pot Pie with Flaky Crust (or a big skillet version)

Classic New England lodge supper that's warm and filling. It can be baked ahead and kept warm while everyone settles in.

Maple-Glazed Roasted Root Vegetables with Sharp Vermont Cheddar

Maple is the flavor of northern New England, and a platter of roasted carrots, parsnips, and squash next to cheddar feels rustic, homey, and easy.

Warm Apple Cider Donuts or Apple Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

A little indulgent and very New Hampshire in the fall. Serve it warm when the conversation turns to the heavier questions.

To sip

Mulled Spiced Apple Cider (no alcohol)

Simmer it on the stove with cinnamon sticks and orange peel so the whole house smells like a mountain lodge. Everyone can drink it.

Maple Bourbon Hot Toddy

A fireside nightcap of bourbon, real maple syrup, lemon, and hot water. It's a comforting nod to the long New Hampshire nights.

Fireside Hot Cocoa Bar (no alcohol)

Cocoa with marshmallows, whipped cream, and peppermint sticks, plus an optional splash of Irish cream for anyone who wants it. It's soft, sweet, and easy to customize.