CBS News
Reading group discussion guide for “Familiaris,” Oprah’s book club pick
Watch CBS News
- In the prologue, David Wroblewski writes, “The same would be true for each of the great quests in John Sawtelle’s life.” How would you describe the great quests in John Sawtelle’s life?
- Mary is the strong, sensible, joyful backbone of the Sawtelle farm. She is talented at rerouting a conversation or course of action to a better result—at times she is an agitator, at times a peacekeeper. Which events of the book are changed by her intervention?
- John often uses the prompt “Suppose you could do one impossible thing.” This phrase becomes his ethos for approaching life’s challenges. How does each character interpret it?
- The text Practical Agriculture and Free Will by the fictional thinker George Solomon Drencher turns up regularly in Familiaris, quoted sincerely by John and as a punch line by others. The characters are amused by the book’s overblown verbosity, but they do find guidance in its passages. How does the book unify the characters’ life stages? Did any Drencherian quotes stand out to you for their strange practicality?
- Throughout the novel, So Jack encourages many characters to have heart-to-heart conversations with Granddaddy. Why? How do characters benefit from these conversations?
- John, Mary, Gar, and Claude are a family of extremely talented dog trainers, and the reader gets a detailed look at that process. Did any aspects of their work surprise you?
- How does the author differentiate each canine character from the others?
- Watching the Sawtelles and their friends over decades explores the broader contours of life experience—starting with their big dreams as they seek what Drencher would call their “singularism.” Do you feel that the characters achieved a version of their dreams? Would Drencher say so?
- For those readers who have also read Wroblewski’s debut novel, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, how did the events of Familiaris enhance your understanding of Gar and Claude’s relationship and their family history?
- Do you have a favorite canine character in Familiaris? Do any remind you of a dog that has been part of your life?
- The friendship between John and Frank is tested throughout the book. How does the dynamic change over the course of their lives?
- The Peshtigo fire was a real event that occurred in Wisconsin on October 8, 1871. Its place in history is overshadowed by the Great Chicago Fire, which started on the very same day. Had you heard of the Peshtigo fire before reading Familiaris?
- The part-human, part-supernatural character known to the Sawtelles as Ida Paine powerfully redirects several events, changing their outcomes and effectively turning back time. Do you see Ida as a force for good, or something more complicated?
- In your opinion, what does Ida want? What does Nyx want? Do they work together, or are they often at cross purposes? Who is in control?
- If you could have a conversation with your younger self and your older self, as John does with Ida’s help in part III, what would you want to say?
- The categories the Sawtelles use to classify their dogs—Searcher, Consoler, Challenger, Defender—can also be used to describe the human characters in the story. How would you assign these? Do some apply to more than one character?
- There are many pair-wise relationships in the novel: John and Mary, of course, but also So Jack and Granddaddy, John and Elbow, Walter and Ida, etc. How can each of these be thought of as a love story?
- What is Elbow’s relationship to wood? How does his work speak for him? Similarly, what about Frank’s relationship to food?
- At the end of part III, John dreams of the first dogs who lived alongside humans. What does this dream mean to you? What do you think it means to John?
- Claude brings chaos and deceit to his relationships. In your opinion, does his darkness come from within or without, and is this universal?
- Why does Claude decide to leave at the end of part IV? What might he fear about staying?
- What does the novel say to you about friendship? What about love? Grief?
- Think about active mourning versus passive mourning, especially as it relates to John.
- Compare John’s time at the rooming house with his time at the farm. What kind of community does John create in each place?
- What does it tell you about John’s character that he never tells Frank the truth about the necker knob? Do you think Frank knows this, consciously or unconsciously?
- Which character do you most relate to, and why?
- Discuss the following terms: agency, choice, fate, optimism, creation, knowledge, yearning, loss. How are these manifested across the scope of the novel?
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
CBS News
Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.