Reading Group Guide for Town & Country

This reading group guide for Town & Country offers discussion questions that are intended to help your group identify new and interesting angles to engage deeply with the book and its themes. We hope this guide will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment and appreciation of Town & Country’s many layers.

INTRODUCTION

The rural town of Griffin is the kind of place where residents still gather for the annual Memorial Day Parade, meet for milkshakes at the old-time diner, and always find a familiar face at the hardware store. But Griffin is also a community in transition. It has become a hot spot for weekenders—among them, a clique of affluent gay newcomers—seeking refuge from city life and bringing with them an expensive appetite for leisure and design that is ruffling longtime locals.​

Spanning six months from Memorial Day to Election Day, Town & Country paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of a community in flux. For readers of Fredrick Backman and Jen Beagin, this “powerful and extremely well-written book” (Colum McCann, National Book Award winner) asks the essential and timeless questions: What makes a home, and what do we owe our neighbors?

TOPICS & QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Class Divide in Griffin

From the beginning of the novel, at the Memorial Day parade, it’s clear that Griffin has become a town with a strong economic divide between locals and affluent second-home owners, or “Duffels.” How does this divide illustrate the obstacles faced by its inhabitants and inform the story’s central tensions? What towns, cities, or regions near you does this fictional place remind you of?

Shared Disillusionment

Seemingly all the characters in Town & Country grapple with dissatisfaction or disconnection from their lives in some way. For example: Will’s feelings of alienation after returning home after a year away at college, and lonely Leon’s struggle to start fresh in this town where he knows no one after the end of his marriage. How does this through line reflect the needs and challenges of finding community, regardless of where one lives?

Marital Strain and Breakdown

As the congressional race heats up, Diane and Chip’s marriage is strained by political ambitions and their shifting roles within their own family. Simultaneously, the pressure of the campaign takes its toll on Stan and Paul’s marriage as well. What most intrigued you about the changing dynamics of these relationships, and did you find them reflective of broader societal issues?

The Role of Politics

Chip is far from perfect as a father, a friend, a congressional candidate, and more. Yet, in certain ways, he emerges as the moral center of the book. How did you weigh his conflicting motivations against one another, and what did you make of the novel’s portrayal of the intersection of personal ambition and public service? What role does public service play in your life?

Character Motivations and Growth

Diane’s internal struggle between her faith, changing familial dynamics, and desire for personal gain is a central theme in Town & Country, as is Eric Larimer’s growing discomfort and questioning of his lifestyle and the priorities of his and his husband Alex’s social circle. How did you initially judge their respective values, and did your perception of these characters change as the story unfolded?

Identity and Belonging

As Will explores his identity and struggles with his sense of loyalty, fueling much of the rising action of the novel, the election forces him to pick a side. What does his struggle reveal about the competing influences that shape a person? Must they always be in conflict? What are some opposing forces in your own life?

Community Versus Individualism

The narrative explores tension between communal values and personal desires, a frequent topic in discussions of American ideals and individualism. How do the various characters balance those opposing forces, and how does that balance express itself differently for Duffels and for full-time residents of Griffin?

Unexpected Evolutions

At the beginning of the book, characters seem almost stereotypically defined by where they primarily reside: Duffels live lavishly with little concern for their rural neighbors, while townsfolk resist change and outsiders. How did these perceptions morph as the story unfolded? Which character or characters surprised or moved you most in their journey?

The Ending

The author leaves the ending of the novel up in the air. Did you find the ambiguity satisfying or disappointing? Who do you think wins the congressional race, and who did you want to win? What does the ending reveal about the nuances of local politics compared to national politics?

Bonus Topic

Imagine Griffin a decade from now. How do you think the town will continue to evolve? Which characters do you think will remain residents, and which will find homes elsewhere? What do you hope for Griffin and its inhabitants?