The Ones We Choose cover

The Ones We Choose

by Julie Clark

**Lisa Genova meets 23andMe in this “extraordinary breakthrough novel” (Sarah McCoy, New York Times bestselling author) about the genetic and emotional ties that bind as a young boy searches for his place in this world and a mother comes to terms with her own past.** The powerful forces of science and family collide when geneticist Paige Robson finds her world in upheaval: Her eight-year-old son Miles is struggling to fit in at his new school and begins asking questions about his biological father that Paige can’t answer—until fate thrusts the anonymous donor she used into their lives. Paige’s carefully constructed life begins to unravel as the truth of Miles’s paternity threatens to destroy everything she has grown to cherish. As Paige slowly opens herself up—by befriending an eccentric mother, confronting her own deeply buried vulnerabilities, and trying to make sense of her absent father’s unexpected return—she realizes breakthroughs aren’t only for the lab. But when tragedy strikes, Paige must face the consequences of sharing a secret only she knows. “An absolutely dazzling, profound ruby of a novel” (Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author), The Ones We Choose shows that while the science is fascinating, solving the intimate mysteries of who we are and where we come from unleashes emotions more complex than the strands of DNA that shape us.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?