4. Ramona is Truman and Greta’s mutual friend who “traps” them into confronting their dissatisfaction by coaxing them into leaving the comfort of their familiar lives. What do you think her role in the story is, beyond the trap? Other than Truman and Greta, who else is trapped in The Holiday Trap?

5. By the end of The Holiday Trap, none of the characters work for anyone but themselves. The work force has shifted greatly over the last decade, with fewer and fewer people pursuing what we might call traditional career paths, and instead opting to work independently. What circumstances and shifts do you think are driving that impulse, and where do these characters demonstrate those shifts?

6. Ash’s mother has Alzheimer’s and dementia. Truman suggests that rather than Ash being her sole caregiver, she get housemates who can provide support, basing his suggestion on programs that have been tried internationally, pairing young people who can’t afford rent with senior citizens who can’t get out easily. The results were great community and joy among the participants. This works out great for Ash’s mom! How do you think this might work on a larger scale? Would you want to participate if given the chance? Why or why not?

7. Carys’ mother is a covert narcissist. As a result, Carys has learned highly adaptive survival and coping mechanisms for dealing with her. But these same mechanisms have influenced her emotional responses to the world. How has Carys adapted because of this dynamic? What moments in the text do you see evidence of what she’s learned to do to work through conflict?

8. Greta falls in with a group of gardening enthusiasts all in their sixties or older. What importance does intergenerationality play in The Holiday Trap? Are there lessons you’ve learned because you’ve had access to people much younger or older than yourself?

9. Truman is obsessed (his word!) with The Dead of Zagørjič, a fantasy series by Agatha Tark. What role have these books played in Truman’s life? Is there a book that was formative to you? In what ways did it shape you?

10. Greta grew up in the only Jewish family on Owl Island. Antisemitism is still very much alive in 2022. Even though she isn’t religious, this cultural difference affected her. How do Greta’s experiences differ from those of the gentiles around her? Have you experienced being in the minority because of any part of your identity or circumstance? How did it feel? Did it change how you view the world? Did it affect how you treated other people moving forward?