The Husbands

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What was your initial emotional reaction to Lauren’s magical attic? How did your impressions of this uncanny world change by the novel’s end?
• What did you most relate to about Lauren’s character? What did you find most frustrating about her character, her decisions, or her response to her world?
• Does The Husbands remind you of any other works of magical realism? What do you think sets The Husbands apart from other books in this genre?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

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

• Lauren cycles through numerous husbands throughout the novel. Do you think she should have settled with one man earlier in the narrative? Which husband would you have chosen?
• Do you think Lauren would have had a more stable life if she’d stayed with Felix? How did you interpret her response to this relationship versus her response to Carter?
• How did you emotionally respond to Lauren traveling to Colorado to find Carter? Did you expect Carter to react differently? Would you have handled this situation in the same way Lauren did?
• How did you respond to Lauren threatening Zach with the air gun? Do you think her emotional response was appropriate in light of her relationship with Zach? What would you have done if you’d wanted to get rid of Zach?
• Imagine that you returned home one day to find you had a new partner and a magical attic like Lauren. Would you respond in the same way Lauren does? Would you exchange husbands as frequently? Do you think she takes advantage of her unique situation?

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• The Husbands is a speculative narrative that uses metaphor, analogy, and magical realism to comment on contemporary dating culture. What critique of dating apps’ impact on romance and relationships does it offer? What other factors might contribute to the nature of contemporary dating culture?
• The Husbands also comments on the institution of marriage. How did you interpret this commentary? What role do you think marriage plays in contemporary society and a woman’s understanding of herself?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Why do you think the author wrote The Husbands from the third-person limited point of view instead of from Lauren’s first-person point of view? What do you think this vantage point implies about Lauren’s character? 
• The novel is divided into short chapters. Did the length of the chapters impact your engagement with Lauren’s story? How might the rapid narrative pacing be a formal commentary on dating culture? 
• Which of the husbands does the novel portray most sympathetically? How does this portrayal contribute to the work’s overall meaning?
• What role does Bohai play in Lauren’s evolution? How do you think her story and character would be different if she’d never met someone with the same experience?
• What symbolic significance did you attribute to the attic setting? Do you think that Lauren needed to burn it down in order to move forward? Consider how her relationship to the space changes throughout the novel.

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If The Husbands were adapted into a movie or show, whom would you cast in the lead roles? Are there elements of the written narrative you’d omit? Are there scenes or plot points you’d expand?
• Imagine a sequel in which Lauren kept the attic. What would happen, and how would those events expand on the themes of The Husbands?

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