Literary Fiction · Free kit
The Road to Tender Hearts
PJ Halliday is sixty-three, sober-ish on a good week, and still eating breakfast with the ex-wife who left him and the partner who replaced him. A lottery win a decade ago bought him time, not peace — and three heart attacks later, Pondville, Massachusetts, feels smaller than the grief he carries for his drowned daughter Kate. When his estranged brother’s grandchildren land in his lap after an unthinkable loss, PJ does what he has always done when life corners him: he gets in the car. With adult daughter Sophie, ten-year-old Luna (who is certain a soap opera star is her real father), nine-year-old Ollie, and Pancakes the nursing-home cat — rumored to sense when death is near — he heads west toward Michelle Cobb, the high school sweetheart he never stopped wondering about, and a retirement community called Tender Hearts in the Arizona desert.
“You don’t always get a map for the road back — sometimes you just keep driving until the landscape matches the courage you’re trying to grow.”
Complete free book club kit
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Plan your meeting
BookClubee take
Vibe check
Our editorial snapshot of how this book tends to land at club night — not a crowd average.
Craft
- Overall5
- Plot4
- Characters5
- World building4
- Ending4
How it feels
- Spice1
- Tears4
- Surprises3
- Humor5
- Comfort4
What’s in this kit
Everything below is free — open a section, use it at your meeting, or print what you need. No account required.
- Discussion Questions20 book-specific questions labeled warm-up, debate, and deep dive.
- Icebreakers15 fast warm-ups about the reader — not the plot.
- CharactersProfiles, dynamics map, and superlative awards.
- Trivia20 interactive questions from easy to hard.
- Would You Rather25 impossible choices inspired by the book.
- BingoPrintable book-club bingo for reading and live discussion.
- This or That40 rapid-fire choices plus a 60-second speed round.
- Speed DebatesPick a side and defend it against the clock.
- Hosting GuideShopping list, timeline, surprise touch, and wrap-up.
- PrintablesStickers, quote cards, invites, and review sheets.
How to run your meeting
1. Warm up
Start with icebreakers or a quick trivia round.
2. Discuss
Use the labeled discussion questions — warm-up to deep dive.
3. Play & wrap
Would You Rather, bingo, or a speed debate — then rate the book.
Frequently asked questions
Is this The Road to Tender Hearts book club kit free?+
Yes. Everything on this page is free — discussion questions, games, trivia, and hosting tips. No account required.
Does this kit spoil The Road to Tender Hearts?+
Yes — discussion questions, trivia, and character material include major spoilers (Kate’s death, Luna and Ollie’s parents, the road trip’s emotional turns, Michelle and PJ’s reunion arc, and late-book reckonings with sobriety and family). The novel also touches child orphaning, murder-suicide, alcoholism, and parental loss; finish the book before those sections. Icebreakers and most This or That prompts work as warm-ups.
What's in the Premium Kit?+
The Premium Kit on Etsy is the full printable pack: discussion guide, character cards, trivia, bingo, games, hosting checklist, and review sheets — ready to print for your meeting.
How long should our The Road to Tender Hearts meeting run?+
Plan about 65–75 minutes: 10 minutes of icebreakers, 25–30 minutes of discussion (this book mixes grief and humor — leave room for both), 15 minutes of a game, then wrap-up. Use the Hosting Guide for a minute-by-minute outline.
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