The Collected Regrets of Clover Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Death Doula Profession and our BookBrowse Review of The Collected Regrets of Clover.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How does the first chapter set the tone for the rest of the novel? What role do you think Clover's early exposure to death plays in her ability to feel comfortable talking about it?
2. Clover believes that one of the reasons she has had trouble forging connections with others is because of her job as a death doula. Why do you think it's socially unacceptable to discuss death as an inevitable experience we will all face? How is Western society different from others in this sense?
3. Does the colloquial discussion of death and people dying in this novel make you uncomfortable? How about when you read the casual descriptions of the various ways people die on page 48? Do you feel (even just a little) more comfortable with death after reading this novel?

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