Book Club Discussion Questions for All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Windrush Generation and our BookBrowse Review of All the Lonely People.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Ashley makes a huge leap of faith by setting out on her own to raise her daughter. What kind of strength does it take to create the type of life you want while raising a child?
2. Hubert didn't allow the color of his skin to dictate who he loved or the life he wanted to live. Have you ever defied someone else's expectations or prejudices to pursue what makes you happy?
3. Discuss the moments of obvious/subtle racism Hubert had to overcome throughout the story. What can non-immigrants be aware of/do to help immigrants transition to life in a new country?
4. Gus's descent into loneliness took on a dramatically different form than Hubert's. While Hubert's home still provided him the comforts he needed, Gus's degraded and left him living in unhealthy conditions. Why do you think Gus found himself living like this?
5. For Hubert, it was the death of his daughter that led him to a life of loneliness. Who in your life inspires you to live life to the fullest?
6. Hubert grieves by keeping to himself. What are different ways of grieving and what kind of support do people need?
7. Hubert reluctantly left his loneliness behind to connect with his community and past friends. What have you reluctantly done that resulted in an unexpected joy?
8. Joyce stood up against racism to be with Hubert even though things in her life may have been easier without Hubert in it. What does that tell you about who Joyce is as a person and her values in life?
9. Hubert has a difficult relationship with his son. What caused David to turn to drugs and could Hubert have handled the situation differently? If yes, how?
10. Life is filled with joy, but also sadness. Discuss times when you felt like giving up, but your friends and family helped you find your joy again
11. Hubert crafts an exciting lifestyle for himself in a notebook instead of going out and living it. Discuss why he does this even though he knows that it's not his daughter on the phone that he's telling these stories to.
12. To Hubert, his family was everything and he was willing to do anything for them. What does family mean to you?
13. If you could start a movement in your community, what would it be? And why?

These discussion topics are reproduced from the All the Lonely People book club kit with permission of the publisher. The book club kit includes much more information including an interview with the author, an essay by the author on understanding history, reading lists, recipe and more.

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