Kind of, Sort of, Maybe, But Probably Not book club questions

Kind of, Sort of, Maybe, But Probably Not  by Imbi Neeme follows Phoebe, a librarian by trade who lives with misophonia. Thanks to her disorder, the sound of someone crunching an apple or slurping their tea is enough to incite a rage that she buries deep inside.

Mortified by her ‘Not Quite Right’ brain, she hides away in her family home. But when mysterious postcards start appearing in the mail, she teams up with a kind postal clerk and university student to uncover the mystery of the postcards. With their help, she just might figure it out – and find acceptance, strength and love along the way.

Discussion points and questions

• Why do you think the author chose to set the novel in the 1990s? Do you think the story would play out differently if it was set in the 2020s?
• The author used the motto ‘Be brave’ to shape Phoebe Cotton's narrative arc, and ‘Be strong’ to shape Suze's. Was this evident in the book? How do you interpret the difference between bravery and strength? 
• The three generations of the Cotton family interacted in very particular manners. How do you feel about the space they gave each other?
• Do you or anyone you know suffer from misophonia? Has the novel given you an insight into some of the invisible conditions people live with?
• Do you, or did you live in a share household? Is this a rite of passage that all should enjoy/endure?
• Between Phoebe, Suze, Charlie, Sacha, Monty and Dorothy, we see different manifestations of infatuation and love. Was there a particular trajectory you most identified with?
• When was the last time you wrote or received a postcard? 
• Phoebe and her grandmother have many differences, but both hid a part of themselves from the world – Phoebe’s misophonia and Dorothy’s relationship with Libby. Do they share any other similarities? What might have happened if they shared their secrets earlier?
• The garden at 6 Salmon Street is a recurring motif throughout the book. Do you think it reflects any of the characters and their states of mind at different points in the narrative? How so?