Create a free Bookclubs account to organize your book club, get reading recommendations, view hundreds of discussion guides, and more!
Butter-Side Up
How often have you heard someone say, “I hate change?” That’s because most people do.
The reality is, whether you like it or not, life puts us all through changes—some challenging, and many joyful—that shape our day-to-day experiences. Sometimes , though, in the blink of an eye, the unthinkable can happen. This begs the question: when the unexpected occurs, how do successfully navigate change so you land butter side up when life turns the tables?
Butter Side Up is not self-help jargon: is edutainment for the soul. Jane Enright’s true story of surviving three life-altering events in the span of twelve months, losing everything, and coming out the other end stronger and more resilient than ever before is compelling and riveting—and full of sage advice for how to do the same. A feel—good story that everyone can relate to and learn from, Butter Side Up shows that there can be happiness and joy after unplanned change—and super awesome life, too.
This discussion guide was shared and sponsored in partnership with She Writes Press
Book club questions for Butter-Side Up by Jane Enright
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
What was your initial reaction to Butter Side Up? Why did you choose to read it?
Was there anything about the book that surprised you?
How did you feel reading the book?
What aspects of the author’s story could you relate to the most?
How honest do you think the author was being when she told her story?
Did you find the plot predictable? Were you surprised by any twists and turns?
What did you think about the structure of Butter Side Up? Why do you think the author chose to tell her story this way?
Share a favourite quote or passage from Butter Side Up. Why did this quote or passage stand out and why was it meaningful to you?
Did Butter Side Up make you reflect on how you would deal with sudden, unplanned change? If so, what did you learn and how will you apply what you learned in your everyday life?
Were there any sections of the book that you identified more with than others? Was there any advice or part of the book that resonated with you?
Were there any sections of the book where you doubted the author’s advice?
If you had the chance to ask the author one question, what would it be?
Was the ending satisfying? Is the ending what you expected?
Did the book change your opinion or perspective about change?
If you were making a movie of Butter Side Up, who would you cast and in what roles?
Butter-Side Up Book Club Questions PDF
Click here for a printable PDF of the Butter-Side Up discussion questions
“ Butter Side Up: How I Survived My Most Terrible Year and Created My Super Awesome Life left me emotional from the first chapter. Jane Enright’s story of overcoming incredible odds is no short of extraordinary. A story you must read in its entirety to fully grasp, I recommend this book for all readers, especially those who need encouragement in trying times.”
--The San Francisco City Book Review
“Jane Enright has written a brilliant book. This Canadian author has wisdom and insight that helps elevate and empower you! Butter Side Up : How I Survived My Most Terrible Year is a must read and one of the best inspirational memoirs to delve in to.”
--John Busbee, Host/Producer, The Culture Buzz
KFMG 98.9 FM
“Enright is a wonderfully clear-minded narrator of her own experiences. . . . The result is a stirringly believable tale of personal reinvention. An unsparing, ultimately uplifting account of turning a crisis into a new view of life.”
–Kirkus Reviews
“Five stars for this quick and easy, albeit emotional, read. I loved (Jane’s) words and her thoughts and her constant desire to look on the bright side. This book is full of tools to help you navigate change. There is quite a bit of wisdom on these pages for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed, or beat down. Butter Side Up will make you laugh, and it may very well make you cry, but it will help you land butter-side up if you let it. ---Kristis Literary Corner
“Wow, talk about an inspirational but REAL book. Jane tells us how she survived the worst year of her life. . . . She doesn't make it fluffy and rainbows, she makes it real and relatable. This book is a must-read!”
–Askaway Blog
“Butter Side Up is an insightful memoir that draws lessons from Jane Enright’s personal challenges.”
–Foreword Reviews
“It’s hard to believe that after the heart-wrenching, life-altering curve balls life threw at Jane Enright, she came out on top…butter side up. I'm inspired by her story and her optimism!”
—Brad Aronson, Author of the national bestseller, HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time
“The OMG strategy is brilliant. I love the feel of the 'outside-in thinking' mindfulness that revolves around the value of gratitude. We're getting a sunny rain shower of bright insights and advice for balance and wellness that delivers much-needed comfort and real talk right now, helping the reader to a better path.”
—Writer's Digest
“I loved the format of Butter Side Up which was comprised with letters she sent to family and friends during her challenging year. I was left with hope and felt empowered with options due to the substance she packed her memoir with. ⠀
----Everything.is.words
“What gets me about Butter Side Up is how similarly it parallels my own experience dealing with my partner’s leukemia treatments. The idea of “sudden, unexpected change can occur rapidly at any moment, hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s wonderful how Enright weaves her real-time experiences into this touching tale of love and loss, and caring.
---Jarie Bolander, author of Ride or Die: A Husband’s Memoir of Love, Loss, and the True Meaning of Commitment
“Butter Side Up will inspire, encourage & motivate you to successfully navigate change—or those curveballs the universe may throw at you—so you can move forward—not backward.”
“Butter Side Up is a perfect example of how life doesn’t always stay on a straight road. You need to take the twists and turns because you’ll never know where it leads. Jane reminds us Change is Good and when your toast falls butter side up you know it’s a good day.”