Summer Friends (33 page)
Authors: Holly Chamberlin
They had seen each other again in May, when Maggie had driven up to Ogunquit for four days. She stayed with Delphine, and though Delphine had offered her use of her bedroom, Maggie had insisted she was fine sleeping on the living room couch. On the second morning Maggie awoke to find Melchior crouched on the back of the couch just above her head, staring intently at her. Her first instinct was to throw off the blankets and run from the room. But then she realized that he was purring. Melchior wasn't intending to eat her face. He was saying,
You're okay. I accept you.
She was still a bit freaked out by him but no longer actually afraid.
You're okay. I accept you.
She was still a bit freaked out by him but no longer actually afraid.
Maggie and Delphine had kept mostly to themselves during that visit, getting together only once, briefly, with Jackie. One night they got slightlyâwell, maybe more than slightlyâdrunk on the rum punch at Barnacle Billy's. Ice-cream cones helped the sobering-up process. One day they drove to Portland to see an exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art. Afterwards, they had lunch at J's Oyster, an old dive bar and local favorite, right on the water. In the afternoon they took the ferry to Peaks Island. Whenever Delphine had to stop in at the office or the diner, Maggie shopped at the outlets in Kittery and Freeport. And they talked. Maggie told Delphine how close she had come to cheating on Gregory with the man they had met at the Old Village Inn. Delphine admitted that she had lied to Maggie all those years ago. She hadn't applied to graduate schools. Maggie had figured as much. They talked about fear and about courage. They talked about family and expectations, both real and imagined.
Now, they were planning that long-awaited trip to Boston the weekend after Labor Day. Delphine would meet Maggie at the hotel around seven o'clock Friday evening and drive back to Ogunquit on Sunday night. They would have lunch one afternoon at Union Oyster House, in memory of that long-ago weekend when Jackie had visited them during their senior year. They would visit the museums, take a walk through the Public Garden, and maybe, if there was time, go to the aquarium. Maggie had promised to forgo a visit to the mall.
If anyone asked them, both Maggie and Delphine would say that their friendship was not what it had been when they were children or even what it had been when they were young women. It was something better. It was a friendship fully chosen, something they had fought for and won, and the friendship was more appreciated now than it ever had been because each knew there was nothing accidental or circumstantial about it.
Delphine's cell phone rang. It was Maggie's special ringtone.
“It's me,” Maggie said.
“I know. I just got two new orders.”
“Congratulations. I picked up the tickets to a play at the ART. It's a production of
A View from the Bridge.
Sound okay?”
A View from the Bridge.
Sound okay?”
“Maggie, I haven't been to see a professional troupe's performance in over twenty years. We could be seeing
A Charlie Brown Christmas
and I'd be happy. What's all that noise?”
A Charlie Brown Christmas
and I'd be happy. What's all that noise?”
Maggie laughed. “That's Gregory, in the kitchen. He's makingâI should say he's trying to makeâa soufflé. We learned about soufflés in our last class.”
“You're sure he doesn't mind that we're staying in a hotel and not at your house?” Delphine asked.
“Are you kidding? First, he's totally supportive of my having a good friend. And second, he gets to be alone with Barney. I totally expect Barney will be wearing a little doggie outfit when I get home, hat, booties, and all.”
“I think it's adorable Gregory's so into the dog. But . . . booties? In the summer?”
“I know. I've created a monster.”
There was a loud, metallic crash, followed by a louder, “Damn!”
Maggie sighed. “I'd better go and check on the chef.”
“Good idea. Talk tomorrow.”
“Good night, Delphine. Say hello to Melchior.”
“Good night, Maggie. Love to everyone.”
Delphine hung up. She looked fondly at the mass of fur at her feet. No matter how deeply asleep he was, the mere whisper of the approach of food could rouse him.
“Is it dinnertime?” she asked her sleeping cat softly.
Melchior bolted to his feet.
Waah,
he said.
Waah,
he said.
Delphine laughed. “Then let's go to the kitchen.”
Please turn the page
for a special Q & A with
Holly Chamberlin!
for a special Q & A with
Holly Chamberlin!
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Q.
Summer Friends
is your ninth novel and you've also written four novellas as part of collections for Kensington. How has your writing process changed over the years?
Summer Friends
is your ninth novel and you've also written four novellas as part of collections for Kensington. How has your writing process changed over the years?
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A.
Well, I wish I could say that the writing process has gotten easier, but I can't. If anything, it's more exhausting than ever because I've become more exacting with my writing. I've set higher standards; whether I've been successful in meeting those standards, only the reader can judge. One thing hasn't changed. From the beginning I've never been hesitant to delete entire chapters if necessary. I suspect the habit comes from the years I worked as an editor. If it doesn't work, toss it.
Well, I wish I could say that the writing process has gotten easier, but I can't. If anything, it's more exhausting than ever because I've become more exacting with my writing. I've set higher standards; whether I've been successful in meeting those standards, only the reader can judge. One thing hasn't changed. From the beginning I've never been hesitant to delete entire chapters if necessary. I suspect the habit comes from the years I worked as an editor. If it doesn't work, toss it.
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Q.
What is the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
What is the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
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A.
Without a doubt, it's plotting. A plot comes to me in painful dribs and drabs. Sometimes, only a month away from my deadline, the plot is still filling in. Oscar Wilde said something about his characters being able to do nothing but talk. Not that I'm comparing my lowly skills to Mr. Wilde's considerable ones, but my characters also seem to want only to talk, never to do. Maybe they're just lazy. Maybe I'm just lazy.
Without a doubt, it's plotting. A plot comes to me in painful dribs and drabs. Sometimes, only a month away from my deadline, the plot is still filling in. Oscar Wilde said something about his characters being able to do nothing but talk. Not that I'm comparing my lowly skills to Mr. Wilde's considerable ones, but my characters also seem to want only to talk, never to do. Maybe they're just lazy. Maybe I'm just lazy.
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Q.
Do you ever have a problem finding jumping-off ideas for the novels?
Do you ever have a problem finding jumping-off ideas for the novels?
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A.
Ideas are easy to come by. You just need to keep your eyes and ears open. Making an idea personal and meaningful by attaching it to the life of a particular character is the challenge. My novels aren't about ideas; they're about people or characters. At least, that's what they're supposed to be about!
Ideas are easy to come by. You just need to keep your eyes and ears open. Making an idea personal and meaningful by attaching it to the life of a particular character is the challenge. My novels aren't about ideas; they're about people or characters. At least, that's what they're supposed to be about!
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Q.
In
Summer Friends
you present two women who were very close from childhood through college but who have been largely absent from each other's lives for over twenty years before one of them decides to seek out the other in an attempt to recapture the old relationship. Were you able to draw on your own experiences for this aspect of the story?
In
Summer Friends
you present two women who were very close from childhood through college but who have been largely absent from each other's lives for over twenty years before one of them decides to seek out the other in an attempt to recapture the old relationship. Were you able to draw on your own experiences for this aspect of the story?
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A.
I'm afraid that the idea of two old friends reuniting after a breakup that occurred under murky circumstances hit very close to home for me and caused a lot of retroactive shame and embarrassment. There are several people I feel I've treated carelessly over time and I can find no really good reasons for my behavior. At least, from the perspective of the present I can find no good reasons for letting certain friendships drift away. That said, the particular story of Maggie and Delphine is entirely fictional. I don't write about myself or about those close to me. Though I might steal their names for characters, the resemblance ends there.
I'm afraid that the idea of two old friends reuniting after a breakup that occurred under murky circumstances hit very close to home for me and caused a lot of retroactive shame and embarrassment. There are several people I feel I've treated carelessly over time and I can find no really good reasons for my behavior. At least, from the perspective of the present I can find no good reasons for letting certain friendships drift away. That said, the particular story of Maggie and Delphine is entirely fictional. I don't write about myself or about those close to me. Though I might steal their names for characters, the resemblance ends there.
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Q.
In several of your novels, including
Summer Friends
, you talk about the notion of nostalgia. Why do you think nostalgia warrants discussion and exploration?
In several of your novels, including
Summer Friends
, you talk about the notion of nostalgia. Why do you think nostalgia warrants discussion and exploration?
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A.
Anyone who attempts to deny, bury, or ignore her past is in for a rude awakening. And anyone who attempts to whitewash, sugarcoat, or actively reshape her past is also in for a tough time. The past, one's personal and family history, is a powerful thing and it's almost impossibleâmaybe entirely impossibleâto avoid some degree of distortion or self-deception when confronting it in the present (which is today, and then will be tomorrow, and then will be the day after that, ad infinitum), but I firmly believe it's worth the effort to remain conscious while attempting to do so. So, nostalgiaâyeah, it's a bad thing. But if you can scrutinize and question a happy memory and in the end still find it happy, you're lucky. Keep it.
Anyone who attempts to deny, bury, or ignore her past is in for a rude awakening. And anyone who attempts to whitewash, sugarcoat, or actively reshape her past is also in for a tough time. The past, one's personal and family history, is a powerful thing and it's almost impossibleâmaybe entirely impossibleâto avoid some degree of distortion or self-deception when confronting it in the present (which is today, and then will be tomorrow, and then will be the day after that, ad infinitum), but I firmly believe it's worth the effort to remain conscious while attempting to do so. So, nostalgiaâyeah, it's a bad thing. But if you can scrutinize and question a happy memory and in the end still find it happy, you're lucky. Keep it.
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Q.
You have lived in Maine since 2003 and before that in Boston for about seven years. You're originally from New York City. I'm wondering if you personally can relate to Delphine's deep attachment to her birthplace after having left your own.
You have lived in Maine since 2003 and before that in Boston for about seven years. You're originally from New York City. I'm wondering if you personally can relate to Delphine's deep attachment to her birthplace after having left your own.
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A.
The answer to that is yes, I certainly can relate to Delphine's love of her hometown. I swore I would never leave New York. I couldn't at all conceive of my life lived elsewhere. But clearly, my attachment to place didn't turn out to be as strong as Delphine's, because I left New York at the age of thirty-three, albeit crying all the way to Boston. For a while the sense of loss was very hard to bear, but thirteen or so years later, happily married to the man for whom I left New York, I've finally adjusted and am glad to be living in Maine, which boasts a very proud people and has a wonderfully distinctive character. Plus, my mother now lives down the block and she's a very strong reminder of home!
The answer to that is yes, I certainly can relate to Delphine's love of her hometown. I swore I would never leave New York. I couldn't at all conceive of my life lived elsewhere. But clearly, my attachment to place didn't turn out to be as strong as Delphine's, because I left New York at the age of thirty-three, albeit crying all the way to Boston. For a while the sense of loss was very hard to bear, but thirteen or so years later, happily married to the man for whom I left New York, I've finally adjusted and am glad to be living in Maine, which boasts a very proud people and has a wonderfully distinctive character. Plus, my mother now lives down the block and she's a very strong reminder of home!
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Q.
Above all else, what keeps you sane during the largely solitary process of conceiving and then writing a novel?
Above all else, what keeps you sane during the largely solitary process of conceiving and then writing a novel?
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A.
My cats. If each day I can squeeze in an hour in my favorite reading chair with Jack, Betty, or Cyrus on my lap, I'm okay.
My cats. If each day I can squeeze in an hour in my favorite reading chair with Jack, Betty, or Cyrus on my lap, I'm okay.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
SUMMER FRIENDS
Holly Chamberlin
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ABOUT THIS GUIDE
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The suggested questions are included to enhance
your group's reading of Holly Chamberlin's
Summer Friends.
your group's reading of Holly Chamberlin's
Summer Friends.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.
When the reader first meets Delphine, she appears to lead a simpler, less fraught, and perhaps less self-focused life than Maggie, and yet before long the reader sees that in actuality Delphine is more self-conscious and more aware of and troubled by issues such as social and financial status than her old friend. Talk about the differences between the inner and outer, or social, selves of the women. How does each woman meet or defy the reader's initial expectations?
When the reader first meets Delphine, she appears to lead a simpler, less fraught, and perhaps less self-focused life than Maggie, and yet before long the reader sees that in actuality Delphine is more self-conscious and more aware of and troubled by issues such as social and financial status than her old friend. Talk about the differences between the inner and outer, or social, selves of the women. How does each woman meet or defy the reader's initial expectations?
2.
At several points in the novel, Maggie and Delphine talk about the expectations their parents set for them, the expectations they assumed their parents set for them, and the lingering effects of their upbringings. For example, to a large extent Maggie has repeated her mother's style of parenting with her daughters, a style she thinks of as the opposite of “helicopter parenting.” To a large extent, Delphine denies her mother's somewhat stern style of parenting by “spoiling” her youngest niece. Maggie is sure that her parents are proud of her social achievements. Delphine has come to doubt that her parents have any respect for the sacrifices she's made for the family. Talk about to what extent it's possible for an adult child to truly and irrevocably liberate herself from needing or wanting a parent's love and approval.
At several points in the novel, Maggie and Delphine talk about the expectations their parents set for them, the expectations they assumed their parents set for them, and the lingering effects of their upbringings. For example, to a large extent Maggie has repeated her mother's style of parenting with her daughters, a style she thinks of as the opposite of “helicopter parenting.” To a large extent, Delphine denies her mother's somewhat stern style of parenting by “spoiling” her youngest niece. Maggie is sure that her parents are proud of her social achievements. Delphine has come to doubt that her parents have any respect for the sacrifices she's made for the family. Talk about to what extent it's possible for an adult child to truly and irrevocably liberate herself from needing or wanting a parent's love and approval.
3.
At various moments throughout the novel, both Maggie and Delphine realize that since their reunion they have each been making assumptions about and even passing judgment upon the other's life, something that as children and then young adults they had never done. At one point Delphine notes that many, if not all, children have an ability to acceptâalmost not even to perceiveâdifferences that might strike an adult as formidable obstacles to a relationship. In the context of the book as well as in the context of your own lives, talk about how along with a maturing of intelligence and a ripening of rational judgment the passing of time can also bring a narrowing of creativity, imagination, and liberality and of how it can sometimes even lead to a person's making unfair, even discriminatory decisions. Can such a decay of kindness and acceptance be reversed?
At various moments throughout the novel, both Maggie and Delphine realize that since their reunion they have each been making assumptions about and even passing judgment upon the other's life, something that as children and then young adults they had never done. At one point Delphine notes that many, if not all, children have an ability to acceptâalmost not even to perceiveâdifferences that might strike an adult as formidable obstacles to a relationship. In the context of the book as well as in the context of your own lives, talk about how along with a maturing of intelligence and a ripening of rational judgment the passing of time can also bring a narrowing of creativity, imagination, and liberality and of how it can sometimes even lead to a person's making unfair, even discriminatory decisions. Can such a decay of kindness and acceptance be reversed?
4.
Do you think there is any value in Delphine's “relationship of convenience” with Harry Stringfellow? If so, where does that value lie? Do you think Mr. and Mrs. Crandall's silence about the unusual relationship is a sign of respect or disrespect for their daughter? The same question could be asked about Jemima's silence or refusal to voice an opinion.
Do you think there is any value in Delphine's “relationship of convenience” with Harry Stringfellow? If so, where does that value lie? Do you think Mr. and Mrs. Crandall's silence about the unusual relationship is a sign of respect or disrespect for their daughter? The same question could be asked about Jemima's silence or refusal to voice an opinion.
5.
The three women with whom Delphine has a personal relationshipâher sister, Jackie; her neighbor Jemima; and, of course, Maggieâare each quite different and serve quite different purposes in Delphine's life. Talk about the value of each unique relationship, as well as about each relationship's possible flaws.
The three women with whom Delphine has a personal relationshipâher sister, Jackie; her neighbor Jemima; and, of course, Maggieâare each quite different and serve quite different purposes in Delphine's life. Talk about the value of each unique relationship, as well as about each relationship's possible flaws.
6.
Maggie repeatedly claims that she has never had one great passion or one great love of her life. Do you think that most people are led to expect a central, defining relationship with a person, a career, or a physical place? And if so, is this a damaging romantic fantasy or is a defining passion a healthy goal toward which to work?
Maggie repeatedly claims that she has never had one great passion or one great love of her life. Do you think that most people are led to expect a central, defining relationship with a person, a career, or a physical place? And if so, is this a damaging romantic fantasy or is a defining passion a healthy goal toward which to work?
7.
Today it's common for people to move away from the place where they were born and raised, and as a result, families can be scattered far and wide and communication becomes less face-to-face and more orchestrated by intermediary channels. The Crandalls, however, are an example of a family that has chosen to remain within close proximity of each other. Do you think Delphine made the right choice to return to Ogunquit after college? At one point she mentions that her homecoming was entirely undistinguished; she was treated as if nothing about her could possibly have changed. Should she have remained in Boston for a few more years before returning home? Should she have never gone home at all? And did she believe she ever really had a choice?
Today it's common for people to move away from the place where they were born and raised, and as a result, families can be scattered far and wide and communication becomes less face-to-face and more orchestrated by intermediary channels. The Crandalls, however, are an example of a family that has chosen to remain within close proximity of each other. Do you think Delphine made the right choice to return to Ogunquit after college? At one point she mentions that her homecoming was entirely undistinguished; she was treated as if nothing about her could possibly have changed. Should she have remained in Boston for a few more years before returning home? Should she have never gone home at all? And did she believe she ever really had a choice?
8.
Maggie's family moved often, her grandparents lived across the country, and Mrs. Weldon had a penchant for extreme and frequent redecoration of their home. Interestingly, the adult Maggie lives in the town next to the one in which her parents finally settled and for years has been seeking some sort of “real” connection with othersâwhether through a church community, or with Delphine, or, finally, with her husband. What do you think is the source of Maggie's intense loneliness?
Maggie's family moved often, her grandparents lived across the country, and Mrs. Weldon had a penchant for extreme and frequent redecoration of their home. Interestingly, the adult Maggie lives in the town next to the one in which her parents finally settled and for years has been seeking some sort of “real” connection with othersâwhether through a church community, or with Delphine, or, finally, with her husband. What do you think is the source of Maggie's intense loneliness?
9.
Delphine believes that change for the sake of change is fine for the young, who have plenty of time to correct and recover from their mistakes. Maggie thinks that Delphine's opinion is a smart one but isn't so sure she feels like being smart at this moment in her life. Discuss when and in what circumstances it's healthier or wiser to accept what is, rather than leave it behind for something other. Alternately, discuss when it is healthier or wiser to move onâand how it's ever possible to know the difference.
Delphine believes that change for the sake of change is fine for the young, who have plenty of time to correct and recover from their mistakes. Maggie thinks that Delphine's opinion is a smart one but isn't so sure she feels like being smart at this moment in her life. Discuss when and in what circumstances it's healthier or wiser to accept what is, rather than leave it behind for something other. Alternately, discuss when it is healthier or wiser to move onâand how it's ever possible to know the difference.
10.
Delphine comes to realize that for a long time she equated selflessness with maturity. When do you think she began to take self-sacrifice too far, so that it eventually became not a sign of maturity but one of weakness?
Delphine comes to realize that for a long time she equated selflessness with maturity. When do you think she began to take self-sacrifice too far, so that it eventually became not a sign of maturity but one of weakness?
11.
Maggie claims that she's never really had to sacrifice herself for the sake of others, except perhaps to some extent when her children were small. Given, for example, her devotion to her friendship with Delphine, do you think Maggie is underestimating her capacity for sacrifice?
Maggie claims that she's never really had to sacrifice herself for the sake of others, except perhaps to some extent when her children were small. Given, for example, her devotion to her friendship with Delphine, do you think Maggie is underestimating her capacity for sacrifice?
12.
While watching the journalist Robert Evans on television one evening, Maggie and Delphine discuss the notion of work and its meaning. Talk about your own thoughts on the relative merits of work performed for the good of the wider world and work performed for the good of one's immediate world. Is one inherently more valuable than the other? In our society at large, or in your more local community, is one kind of work consideredârightly or wronglyâto be more valuable? Where does a person's social responsibility begin and end?
While watching the journalist Robert Evans on television one evening, Maggie and Delphine discuss the notion of work and its meaning. Talk about your own thoughts on the relative merits of work performed for the good of the wider world and work performed for the good of one's immediate world. Is one inherently more valuable than the other? In our society at large, or in your more local community, is one kind of work consideredârightly or wronglyâto be more valuable? Where does a person's social responsibility begin and end?
13.
Delphine firmly believes that when revisiting one's past, perhaps especially one's romantic past, there is a danger of rekindling a generalized longing, restlessness, and dissatisfaction in one's present life, the result of which can only cause harm. Given your own experiences, do you agree with her?
Delphine firmly believes that when revisiting one's past, perhaps especially one's romantic past, there is a danger of rekindling a generalized longing, restlessness, and dissatisfaction in one's present life, the result of which can only cause harm. Given your own experiences, do you agree with her?
14.
In the epilogue, Delphine is grateful for Maggie, the person who “lighted the flame within” her. Share a personal story of someone who greatly changed and deeply affected your life in a positive way. Does that personâalive or dead, present or absentâcontinue to play a supportive role in your life?
In the epilogue, Delphine is grateful for Maggie, the person who “lighted the flame within” her. Share a personal story of someone who greatly changed and deeply affected your life in a positive way. Does that personâalive or dead, present or absentâcontinue to play a supportive role in your life?
15.
Where would you like to see Maggie and Delphine ten, even twenty years in the future?
Where would you like to see Maggie and Delphine ten, even twenty years in the future?
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