The book was very well-liked, and it was generally agreed that it was gut-wrenching (though some of us connected with it more than others).
Highlights of our discussion:
- Beginning (first half) of novel very slow
- End of novel soooooooooooo sad
- Preyed on worst fears as an adoptive mother
- Book showed how you can be psychologically pulled into doing the wrong thing, even though you know it’s morally wrong
- Some found it hard to adjust to the way the writing switched perspectives
- In some places, it felt like the book built up climaxes that never happened – like Hannah testifying
- Not enough detail about Tom’s history with his mother
- Really affected if you’ve had a baby recently
- The whole story was a lose/lose situation
- Glad to have reconciliation between Tom & Isabel
- Took too long to get to the baby
- Not interested in Tom’s past
- Could you live a life of seclusion, like Tom & Isabel on the island?
- Tom tells Isabel to stay in “normal” mode
- Nice that they ended up calling her Lucy-Grace
- It seemed like Hannah never tried to see things from Lucy’s point of view
- Real stories like this are SO traumatic
- Was it foreshadowing, the way Tom said he’s not there to own Janus, just to take care of it?
- Tom is a typical male, very by-the-book; Isabel much more emotional
- Tom had given up on so much, was just going with the flow
- In the military, following the rules keeps you alive
- They wouldn’t have thought twice about keeping the baby if they’d lived in town; they couldn’t have hidden it, but also Izzy would have had support after her losses
- The isolation of the island made Isabel think ONLY of the baby
- Tom wasn’t very helpful emotionally
- Are we all isolated now? Even though we’re packed together, do we even know our neighbors?
- Isabel was really bossy to Tom, telling him they’d talk later, and then telling him there was nothing to discuss
- Tom shouldn’t have changed his mind so many years after allowing Isabel to keep the baby – shouldn’t have let her keep the baby in the first place
- Tom couldn’t live with Hannah’s grief, but too bad, he made the decision, too
- Could you forgive Tom for his betrayal? Or rat him out and keep your child?
- If Isabel had kept Lucy, Lucy still would have found out the truth at some point; they’d never be free of it
- How could this book have had a happy ending? Co-parenting??
- Might have been nice to keep Isabel alive until she saw Lucy again
- How much can you remember of being really little?
- Was it the right thing to do, keeping Lucy away from Isabel so she could forget her and bond with her birth mother?
- If Isabel had known about the mother at first, she probably wouldn’t have kept the baby
- Tom never fully thought of Lucy as his, though he loved her and was a good dad
- Obvious that the silver rattle would be involved
- Did Tom want to get caught?
- The letters he wrote to Hannah were cruel and ridiculous, keeping Hannah from moving on
- So sad for the grandparents
- It was good that Gwen let Lucy see Isabel
- Hannah didn’t have realistic expectations about her reunion with Grace
- Isabel was too bonded with Lucy to return her when she found out about Hannah
- Should the child’s wishes be considered in a case like this? Maybe when the child is older?
- Tom lying for Isabel was the right thing to do, since going to jail would have made her crack
- Hannah just needed someone to hate
- Life on the island sounds romantic, but not very practical – maybe not too different from living out in the country at that time?
- Also, this book made me really want to snuggle with my kids. I feel like I appreciate them more now.
Other books:
The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern
TV:
Breaking Bad
Dexter
The X-Files
Game of Thrones
Revolution
Scandal
Revenge
American Horror Story
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