Seek Immediate Shelter

Whose story did you relate the most to, and why?

In several of the chapters, the false missile alert forced a character into a big life change or shift in perspective. Do you think the alert led the characters to be more or less authentically themselves?

In the beginning of “Apology,” one of the characters grabs a knife when he hears about the missile alert. What do you think this gesture suggests about our desire for control during life’s most turbulent moments? Were there other moments in the novel that also touched on this idea?

Consider Nina’s text to her daughter when she thought she was going to die: “I guess being selfish was worth it.” Why do you think she sends that message? What commentary does the novel seem to be making about last words—on both their power, and the regret people may have after speaking them?

There’s a wide age range for the characters in Seek Immediate Shelter. How do you think age factors into the novel? Do you think there are better or worse times to experience a life altering event?

In “Public Relations,” David flees his home in a moment of crisis, abandoning his wife and child. What did you think about David’s reaction to the missile alert—was he acting out of instinct or cowardice? What comment does the book seem to be making about survival instincts more generally?

In “M.A.D,” Rachel can’t focus on the impending missile because she’s too distracted by her exams and where she will go to college. What commentary is the novel making about the difficulties of releasing our normal, everyday lives and routines even as our lives are changing drastically?

In some chapters, we learn about the missile right away. In others, such as “Birches,” we are literally counting down to it in dread and anticipation. How does time play a role in each of the character’s stories? Discuss the narrative arc of the novel as a whole, in addition to the individual chapter arcs. What sorts of echoes and connections did you notice between the different chapters?

In “Said and Done,” one of the characters describes her son’s accident, noting: “It lacks a certain neatness. It’s not a very straightforward tragedy.” What do you think she means? In what ways do you feel this idea of an untidy tragedy can be applied to various characters throughout the novel?

In “A Second Chance,” Milly confesses her love for Russell after the missile alert. She tells him, “I think I was most scared of not having done anything or left anything behind. Which is so silly when you think about it. Maybe the entire world was going to end. And then, why would it even matter who I’d been? Or what I’d left behind?” Do you agree with this quote? How do you think the idea of not leaving anything behind relates to both Milly’s confession and Russell’s search for his father?

While not the same as a missile, the COVID-19 pandemic similarly rocked society as an unforgettable before-and-after moment that changed life as we know it. In what ways did Seek Immediate Shelter feel timely? In what ways did the novel replicate the ways you have experienced crisis in your own life?

In your opinion, did the last chapter offer a happy ending? What do you feel the novel has to say about hope in general?