Discussion Questions
Spoiler Alert: Please note that the questions below contain spoilers.
1. In chapter two, when Jacob and Sienna reach the summit at Cape Split, Jacob says, “Maybe, as we get older, we develop a clearer sense of danger because we become more aware of our mortality.” Discuss this concept and share times in your life when you took risks, when you were perhaps not fully aware of your mortality. Have you become more aware of it over time? If so, was it a specific event in life that gave you a keener awareness? Or do you believe we all gain this wisdom with age?
2. Before her fall from the mountain, Sienna thinks, “I’ve been blessed. But why? Was I simply born under a shining star? Or did some powerful force from above consider me deserving? If so, I don’t understand the reason. I only know that I’ve been incredibly lucky. I met the love of my life in my own neighborhood, at the exact right time. God has been very good to me.” Knowing what the future holds for Sienna, discuss this belief she holds.
3. There are many instances in the novel where Scooter, in life or in dreams, provides emotional support for Sienna. Which one resonated the most for you, and why?
4. Nate and Sienna bond over a shared desire to follow their creative passions in their careers. They encourage each other to follow their dreams. But later in life, Nate’s passion for his career causes problems in their marriage. Did you feel Sienna was being fair when she let that chip away at the love she felt for him, and was she justified in speaking to a lawyer about a separation?
5. In chapter nine, Sienna remembers her relationship with Jacob and says, “When it grew dark, we stretched out on the grass, stargazed, snuggled, and talked more about our hopes and dreams for the future. To this day, I consider that night to be the most romantic experience of my life.” She then compares her feelings to what she has with Nate, which she calls “a quieter kind of love.” She admits she’s not sure how true love is supposed to feel. Discuss how first love can be romanticized later in life, and how memories of past relationships can affect a marriage, positively or negatively.
6. After the accident at Peggy’s Cove, public speculation online arouses suspicion about Nate as a murderous husband. Was there ever a moment when you, as a reader, doubted his innocence? Did you feel that Amanda’s thoughts and behaviors, in response to the backlash against her father, were warranted? How did you feel about Becky’s handling of that situation?
7. Do you believe that near-death experiences are proof of heaven or an afterlife? Discuss.
8. In the epilogue, Nate’s father walks into Oblique and requests a table. How did you feel about Nate’s decision to turn him away? Would you have preferred for Nate to entertain the possibility of a reconciliation? How does his decision tie into the novel’s message that “there is growth in the healing?” What about forgiveness in the healing process? Do you think Jacob would have advised Sienna to handle that situation differently?