Happiness Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Becoming a Bone Marrow Donor and our BookBrowse Review of Happiness.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Do you think Happiness is an apt title for this memoir? Why do you think Heather chose this particular, single word as the title?
2. How do you face adversity? Do you hunker down, as Brian described his tactic, or do you reach out for people to huddle with, like Heather did? Or do you take another approach?
3. "I was suddenly afraid of being bitten by a creature whose solitary home I'd invaded" (20). Think about Heather's early relationship with Brian and what this line means in that context. Do you think her use of the metaphor is intentional?

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