Commonwealth

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the nonlinear structure of Commonwealth affect your reading experience? Did jumping between different time periods and perspectives enhance your understanding of the characters and their relationships, or did it create challenges?

2. What emotional response did you have to the way family stories were shared, transformed, and sometimes appropriated throughout the novel? Did you find yourself sympathizing with particular characters’ desire to own their stories?

3. Commonwealth shares thematic elements with Patchett’s The Patron Saint of Liars, as both novels explore family secrets and their long-term consequences. If you’ve read The Patron Saint of Liars, compare how the two novels approach maternal responsibility and absence.

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

1. The children in Commonwealth form what the novel calls a “fierce little tribe” (271) during their summer visits. What childhood alliances or groups shaped your understanding of family and belonging?

2. Fix and Teresa face different challenges as single parents after their divorces. How do their approaches to parenting resonate with your own experiences of family responsibility or the parenting you received?