I read more in the summer months of 2010 than I have in a long while. Having the time for reading has been wonderful and am realizing now, at 45, what I have been missing all my life by not finding the time to read. This book was handed to me by a young woman who worked at the hospital on a temporary assignment this summer. It caught my fancy first because it was written by an author who is from the PNW and grew up not far from the area I first called home a decade ago. As I began reading I found I couldn't bear to put it down. It is a touching story of two girls who met during their early teen years - the year, 1974. While the story was excellent it left me reflective of what my life may have been had I been fortunate enough to of met a lifetime friend when I was younger. It was easy for me to step into Kate and Tully's world and follow their lives as though I were a bystander. I identify more with Kate in that I've always searched for the something more... I will have to rethink that longing now because what I have had and experienced in my life has been all I really needed; love, family, health, strength, faith... toss in adventure and what else could a woman ask for to complete the journey?
Here are some of the questions other readers have posted and my answers according to my interpretation.
1. One of the first things Tully says to Kate is a lie. Indeed, Tully is quick to lie throughout her life. Do you think this trait is her way of hiding the shame of her past or is it a willful reinterpretation of self? Do these lies and manipulations, big and small, help her ultimately to be more honest about whom she is, or do they undermine her ability to face her ownshortcomings?
2. From her earliest memory, Tully feels abandoned by her mother and father. How does this sense of being unwanted influence her life? How does her troubled relationship with her mother lead to the decisions she makes in her life? Do children have an obligation of some kind to forgive their parents, even inthe face of repeated disappointment? How much do you think childhood heartaches make us who we are?
3. The Kate-Johnny-Tully triangle is one of the fundamental underpinnings of the novel. How does Johnny really feel about Tully? How does Tully feel about him?
4. Kate believes she is Johnny's second choice for love. How does Johnny contribute to her insecurities? How did Tully? How much of a relationshipis set in the beginning and how are changes made as we grow?
5. When Chad leaves Tully, she rationalizes away her broken heart by saying,"if really loved me, he would wait for me." What does this reveal about Tully's perception of romantic love? How do these perceptions setthe stage for the rest of her life? Do you believe that Tully will ever fall in love?
6. Near the end of the novel, when their friend is on the rocks, both women feel wronged. Certainly Kate has ample reason to feel betrayed, but what about Tully's similar belief? Do you understand why Tully was upset, too? Do you believe that a friend should always reach out, even when great pain has been caused? Or do you believe that true friends would never hurt each other?
7. If you could think of one word that personified the seventies, the eighties,the nineties, and the new millennium (so far), what would those words be?
8. At which moment in the novel did you first notice a hint of tension between Tully and Kate? Who do you feel was to blame for this turning point?
9. Music plays an important role in this novel. What musical memories do you have of your teen years, your twenties, and today? Do you feel, as we get older, that music plays less of a role in our lives? Why do you feel that music so profoundly impacts us when we're "coming of age?"
10. What do you feel Kate was most jealous about with regards to Tully? And what was Tully the most envious of in Kate's life? Jealousy is often wanting what we cannot have. Do you feel that these characters truly could not have the things they wanted? If not, why not?
11. Under what circumstances do you feel a betrayal is unforgivable? Do you feel that any of these characters crossed that line?
12. What role do you see Tully playing in Mara's life, after the pages of the novel are closed?
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