Are you part of a book club or looking to start one? Fret by Nadia Bozak makes a great book club pick!
A propulsive and incisive novel about Kate, a washed-up rock star and frazzled mother of two, whose precarious situation is made more so when her idling car is stolen — with her young daughter still in it — and all her life choices, both big and small, are opened up to the scrutiny of the internet, her community, and ultimately, herself.
Book Club Questions
Do you think Kate is a reliable narrator? Where do you see gaps in how she sees herself compared to how others see her?
What does running represent for Kate both emotionally and psychologically?
How does Fretexplore aging? Particularly for women who had visibility or power?
How do you think climate anxiety affects the events of the novel? How large of a role do you think climate anxiety plays?
How do you think Kate’s need for community interacts with the other themes in the novel — climate, identity, economic precarity?
What do you think Kate’s attachment to objects (her guitar, her sunglasses, her car) symbolizes?
What role does motherhood play in Kate’s life? Does it limit her? Does it free her?
What does Kate’s fixation on her past as “Kat” tell you about her identity? Is she stuck in the past, or is she intentionally moving away from it?
What do you think about Kate’s refusal to release a public apology? Do you think she had anything to apologize for, or do you think she was limited by her circumstances?
