Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Bad Nature by Ariel Courage

1. "This was the plan: drive west, find Dad, kill Dad, then self. I didn't even want to try to get away with killing him. I was dying anyway; I might as well end it there." What role does Hester's cancer play in the novel? In what ways is her mindset influenced by her diagnosis? What was your initial reaction to hearing about her plan for her final days?
2. How would you characterize Hester and John's friendship? What are some pivotal moments in the development of their friendship? Is their bond surprising to you? Why or why not?
3. A large portion of the novel is concerned with the environment and environmental activism. In what ways are Hester's terminal diagnosis mirrored in the state of the climate and environment?
4. Although readers are made aware of Hester's anger toward her father from the very beginning of the novel, the details of his abuse are not divulged until later. Why do you think the author made this choice? How might the story have been different if it was told chronologically?
5. "Mom and I did not discuss that night again. All I know is that he did not come back." How would you characterize Hester's relationship with her mother? In what ways did Hester's father continue to shape the relationship between her and her mother, even after he was no longer a part of their lives?
6. Was Hester a likeable protagonist to you? Which of her qualities, if any, give you pause? Which of them, if any, help redeem her?
7. "I thought she was histrionic in the way virgins sometimes were. It seemed to me that crying sexism while also working for a firm that protected the interests of exploitative global capital signified either naivete or cynicism more wolfish even than mine." What did you make of Hester's friendship with Robert at her firm? Were you surprised by her reaction to the accusations against him? Why or why not?
8. What was the significance of the day Hester and May traveled to New York to meet May's father? What about that visit made Hester sure that she wanted to kill her own father?
9. In a change of heart, Hester decides not to kill herself following the death of her father. What do you think catalyzed this change? Why do you think Hester chose to take the blame for her father's "new ex-wife"?
10. "Turning 40 was nothing special. I was an unmarried, childless lawyer living in one of Manhattan's many nondescript condos." This is how Hester describes herself at the onset of the novel. How do you think she would describe herself by the end of the novel?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Henry Holt and Company. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.