Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of substance use, addiction, sexual content, death, and gender discrimination.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How does Stuart’s portrayal of late 20th-century Glasgow affect your understanding of the story? Have you read other works set in this era of deindustrialization, such as Barry Hines’s A Kestrel for a Knave or Douglas Stuart’s own Young Mungo? How do they compare?

2. What was your initial reaction to Agnes’s character? How did your perception of her change throughout the novel?

3. The novel won the 2020 Booker Prize. What elements of the storytelling do you think made it worthy of this prestigious award, or do you think something else should have won? How does it compare to other recent winners that you’ve encountered—e.g., Shehan Karunatilaka’s The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida (won in 2022), Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song (2023), or Samantha Harvey’s Orbital (2024)?

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

1. Throughout the novel, characters struggle with maintaining their dignity in difficult circumstances. When have you witnessed someone maintaining pride despite challenging situations? What do you think motivates this?