Wondering what your book club should try next?

Part mystery, part elegy, This Side of Sad begins with an ending: the violent enigma of a man's death. Was it an accident, or did James commit suicide? Read the book to find out, and then discuss it with your friends!

The official book club guide includes...

• Reviews
• Author's commentary
• Discussion topics
• And more!

More about the book
In the shattering aftermath of her husband's death, Maslen questions her own capacity for love and undertakes a painful self-inquiry, examining the history of her heart and tracing the fault lines of her own fragile identity. What emerges is a mesmerizing tour of a woman's complex past, rendered in the associative logic of memory and desire.

A gifted storyteller reminiscent of Alice Munro or Joan Didion, Karen Smythe finds poetic complexity in the ordinary. Meditative, philosophical, and confessional, This Side of Sad s a piercing novel that explores the disintegration of a marriage; the enduring colloquy between the living and the dead; and the meaning we find within the random architecture of despair and joy.

Download a free PDF of this book club guide here.