Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
After writing
Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach received countless letters from readers and found a certain recurring theme throughout. Readers explained that their lives had improved markedly after embarking on the
Simple Abundance path, yet they still felt a small twinge of . . . something, something indescribable. Sarah Ban Breathnach knew exactly what they meant, for in spite of a successful writing career, a beautiful and loving daughter, and contentment with the material things in her life, Sarah too felt there had to be "something more" to truly enjoying life, so she set out to investigate that elusive "something more." The result of that search was Something More. This reading group guide, coupled with
Something More itself, will help you in your quest to live life to the fullest and experience the joy that is your spiritual birthright.
About the Reading Group Guide
Something More is a deeply provocative book that asks you to contemplate many issues that you may not be used to thinking about. Because of this, it is a book that is truly enriched by discussion and analysis. Below are some questions that take themes from the book and create a framework within which to begin discussion.
Because
Something More is not a book that you should read straight through quickly, it may be best to proceed with this study guide slowly, tackling issues only as you are ready for them, and spreading out your study over several sessions. You may want to meet over a ten-week period, with one session corresponding to each chapter, and with one session left to wrap up.
These questions are meant to stimulate discussion, but they are by no means the only questions that will come up as you read; let this guide serve as a catalyst for exploring the issues, but allow your discussion to progress in whatever form it chooses. There are no right or wrong answers--or right or wrong questions--so be open to the thoughts that are expressed within the privacy of your group. No matter where your discussions go, they will help you on the journey to discovering your authentic
Something More.
For Discussion
- After a book like Simple Abundance, which promotes the theory that "all you have is all you need," the concept of needing Something More may seem counterintuitive, yet it is not. Discuss ways in which one may be on the Simple Abundance path but still feel a need for Something More.
- Something More asks us to distinguish between happiness and joy. Do you feel you understand the difference? Discuss the nuances of each concept. Do you think you have been taught to look for joy, or is it something that just happened along the way? Does it feel foreign or uncomfortable to demand and expect joy out of your life? Analyze the feelings that surface in this discussion.
- In "When the Student Is Ready," Sarah explains: "Soul-directed events push us past the perimeter of comfort and the safety of old patterns . . . defy logic, and ridicule reason. But soul-directed events--authentic moments--never betray us." Try to come up with your own personal definition of a soul-directed event. What are some of the soul-directed events that have made a difference in your life?
📖
Get the full reading guide
Join BookBrowse free to unlock all 11 discussion questions, author background, themes, and more for Something More.
Join free — it takes 30 seconds
Already a member? Log in →
- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Grand Central Publishing.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
