Printable Book Club Questions for Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus

First, are you a fan of poetry? If you are, can you share some of your favorite poems or poets? And if not, talk about why it’s not for you?
When you first read that Bonnie Garmus’ follow-up to Lessons in Chemistry takes place in the world of poetry, what was your reaction?
Why do you think she decided to set the book in 1980s New York? How did the city and the Peck & Peck building both serve as additional characters?
Batter has always been defined by two things: his twin died at birth, and he’s named after his mother’s beloved dog, which she claims was a hero. In what ways did both of them have an impact on Batter?
When you read at the beginning that Batter would eventually end up in jail, what were your thoughts?
Why was poetry the right outlet for Batter?
Batter’s parents mean well and love him greatly, but they are not thrilled about Batter’s goals to work in poetry. His best friend Paul is also confused by it. Let’s talk about some of the memorable exchanges with Batter and others regarding his love of poetry.
Batter tries to write poetry, and it’s somewhat of a constant joke that one of his poems ended up on public transit. When did it become apparent to Batter that he was not destined to be a poet but rather an editor?
Why was Peck & Peck his dream job?
Batter does eventually get a job at Peck & Peck but not as editor. He’s down in the basement making copies for the other editors. Let’s discuss Batter’s first days at Peck & Peck.
Peck & Peck has an interesting history; it’s always stayed in the Peck family, and it reached big success as a poetry journal. But it hit financial ruin when one of the brothers, Declonius Peck, committed fraud and eventually went to prison for it. But Declonius did have a love for poetry. Whereas his twin brother, Salton, took over the company and seemingly turned it around financially, but he has no interest in the art form. Let’s compare and contrast the two brothers.
Andy is the security guard at Peck & Peck, and Batter is highly confused about why they have one, until Andy says poets can’t handle rejection. The book certainly points to the poets as the most sensitive of the creative types. There is an aspect of this based in humor; what parts of that do you think are true? Are poets perhaps more sensitive than other art forms?
What were your thoughts about the work environment at Peck & Peck?
Declonius starts showing up at Peck & Peck visiting Batter, even though legally he can’t. Why do you think Batter didn’t reveal these meetings earlier on? Was he hoping that Declonius was the real deal?
Salton is certainly a toxic and cruel boss. But he is given some context, as their family life was quite complicated, and Andy, the security guard, could actually be his real dad. Why was it important for the reader to know this backstory about Salton?
What are your thoughts on Andy’s role in the downfall of the company?
Who is the villain of the story?
The book covers much about twins; for Batter, it’s the loss of his twin that he always carries, and with the Peck family, the twin relationships have been messy and competitive. What do you think the author was trying to say about the relationships between twins?
Batter always heard these big stories about his mother’s beloved dog, and at one point, he’s frustrated with her and calls out the stories as a fraud. But he slowly learns that the stories were true, and in fact, the dog was a hero, but suffered a tragic ending. What were your thoughts about Batter’s namesake’s real history? What did these reveals about the dog teach Batter going forward?
Batter eventually finds his voice and confidence and helps to take down the Peck siblings’ greed, in a vivid and adventurous climax at the company party. Let’s talk about Batter’s decision-making there and how it helped change the company for good.
What did you think about the ending? Let’s talk about what happens next for all the main characters.
What was the significance of the egg symbol to Peck & Peck and the story as a whole?