Discussion Questions
Spoiler Alert: Please note that the questions below contain spoilers.
- In what ways are Nadia and Diana mirror images of each other?
- In Chapter Forty-seven, after Diana returns to Bar Harbor, she says: “In the beginning—when I was fresh out of law school—I’d wanted to help people through a difficult time as quickly and smoothly as possible, be their advocate, and share with them my hope and optimism about the future. Unfortunately, the longer I practiced, the more jaded I became. Conflict and bitterness surrounded me on a daily basis, and after what happened to me in LA, I suddenly understood that a messy divorce could happen to anyone, even me.” How does this compare to what is happening to Nadia at the same time? What are the similarities and differences in their life trajectories?
- When Diana and Nadia argue in Chapter Sixty-six, who did you sympathize with more? Did you feel Diana was wrong to date Dr. Peterson? Was Nadia unreasonable to ask Diana not to continue seeing him? Explain your reasoning.
- In chapter sixty-seven, when Nadia calls for Diana in the middle of the night because she’s having heart troubles, and asks her to call Dr. Peterson, did you wonder—as Diana did—if she might be faking it? Or did you think Diana was irrational or paranoid to suspect such a thing?
- At any point, did you feel Nadia was Diana’s ‘evil twin’? Or did you ever feel that Diana filled that role? If so, when? And how does personal point of view create that label for each one of them?
- In what ways are Diana and Jacob mirror images of each other?
- What did you think of Rick in the early part of the novel? How does this compare to how you felt about him at the end? How would you describe him as a person? Is he true to life?
- Do you believe Diana and Jacob were truly meant for each other? Will their relationship last?
- How many acts of sacrifice can you identify in the novel?