Wellness

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Wellness features two protagonists who are married to each other and approach the world and relationships with their respective sets of hang-ups and insecurities. Which of the two do you most sympathize with, and why?
• What do you think of the title of the book? How does it hint at or sum up the ideas and themes explored in it? Were you able to anticipate any of them solely based on the title?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• The novel suggests that people continue to evolve and change throughout life. Do you think it is possible to navigate such changes within a long-term relationship without compromising on commitment and stability? How can one do so?
• What does the term “wellness” mean to you? Is the pursuit of wellness an active part of your life, or is it just an afterthought? Are any of your beliefs, practices, and choices rooted in a desire for wellness?
• Jack grows unsettled by Elizabeth’s independence, the very same quality that initially drew him to her, because he believes himself to be peripheral to her life. What is the role of need and dependence in a relationship? Is some amount of it necessary and healthy, or should two individuals choose to be together solely because they want to?
• Although Jack tried hard to escape the Midwest when he was young, he grows “weirdly protective” of it as an older man.