Kirsten Bonato put her aspirations for veterinary school aside after her father’s sudden death and finds comfort working at an animal shelter. Ella Burke works two jobs to make ends meet and fill the hours while she waits for news about her missing daughter. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.Ĭhuck Ayers can’t decide if he should make the annual trip to Hilton Head without his late wife, Cat. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. This reading group guide for A QUIET LIFE includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. Emotionally riveting and infused with hope, “the soothing tone and warm worldview of this grown-up bedtime story will be good for what ails you” ( Kirkus Reviews).

In this beautiful and profoundly moving novel, three parallel narratives converge in poignant and unexpected ways, as each character bravely presses onward, trying to recover something they have lost. But as time passes, old dreams and new romantic interests begin to surface-and Kirsten finds herself at another crossroads. Ella adjusts to life in a new apartment and answers every call on her phone, hoping her daughter will reach out.Īfter the sudden death of her father, Kirsten Bonato set aside her veterinary school aspirations, finding comfort in the steady routine of working at an animal shelter. Now, just months after Cat’s death, Chuck finds that he can’t let go of her belongings-her favorite towel, the sketchbooks in her desk drawer-as he struggles to pack for a trip he can’t imagine taking without her.Įlla Burke delivers morning newspapers and works at a bridal shop to fill her days while she anxiously awaits news-any piece of information-about her missing daughter. Set in a close-knit suburb in the grip of winter, A Quiet Life follows three people grappling with loss and finding a tender wisdom in their grief.Ĭhuck Ayers used to look forward to nothing so much as his annual trip to Hilton Head with his wife, Cat-that yearly taste of relaxation they’d become accustomed to after a lifetime of working and raising two children. From the author of A Little Hope-a Read with Jenna Bonus Pick-comes another “heartwarming, character-driven” ( Booklist) life-affirming novel about three individuals whose lives intersect in unforeseen ways.

Ethan joella a quiet life