Read When We Were Friends Online
Authors: Elizabeth Arnold
When We Were Friends (50 page)
Under that mystery is a look inside a troubled marriage, the things we decide to tell and not tell each other, at how fractures in such a strong bond can gradually lead to its disintegration. But more than that it’s a book about books, written to celebrate them and my own love of reading, a look at how the novels Nate and Chloe read affected the people they became, and what books and reading can teach about life. It’s been such an absorbing book to write but also so much fun, since it’s given me the opportunity to reread the books I adored as a child and fall in love with them all over again. (Great how this revisits my answer to the first question you asked. Way to tie up themes!)
1
. There’s a shadow of mysticism in the background of the book—the occult store where Sydney works, and Star’s Tarot cards. What role do you think these play in the book? Why do you think the author includes them?
2
. There are three very distinct settings—Virginia, West Virginia, and New Hampshire—that play roles in Lainey’s journey. Why do you think the author chose these particular settings? How do you think they affect Lainey as a character?
3
. Lainey gives Jacqueline a new name even before they go into hiding. Why do you think she feels so attached to the baby right away?
4
. Compare Sydney and Pamela. Why do you think Lainey has been drawn to each of these women? What do you think her friendship with each of them says about her life?
5
. Lainey takes a huge leap of faith when she decides to follow Alex out of West Virginia. What about him makes her trust him, when she has so few people in her life that she has trusted up to this point?
6
. Parenting comes very naturally to Lainey. What do you think makes her such a good, instinctive mother? In what ways do you think Lainey’s relationship with her own mother has an impact on her relationship with Molly?
7
. When Star confronts Sydney, she tells Sydney that she identifies with Sydney’s need for love. How do you think the two characters compare to each other? What are the most significant differences between them? At what point do you draw the line between what you need and how it affects the people around you?
8
. Forgiveness is a big theme in the book—Lainey has to forgive Sydney, Alex, and Star at various times. Do you think her forgiveness is warranted? What is the most egregious act you’ve ever forgiven someone for?
9
. What questions about motherhood are raised in the book?
About fatherhood? Discuss how the different father figures—Alex, David, and the memory of Lainey’s father—influence the situation.
10
. Lainey has always struggled with feeling inferior to Sydney, particularly in terms of romantic relationships. How does the revelation about Alex and Sydney’s relationship affect her? How do you think, with this in mind, she is able to trust his love for her? Can their relationship last?
11
. Have you ever been teased at school or had a close friend betray you? In what ways did it affect your life at the time? Are we ever truly able to “get past” the past, or do we carry it with us always? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
12
. Do you sympathize with Sydney at all? What would you have done in her situation?
13
. What do you think the future holds for Lainey, Alex, and their family? What would you most like to see for them?
E
LIZABETH
J
OY
A
RNOLD
is also the author of
Pieces of My Sister’s Life
and
Promise the Moon
. She was raised in New York, and has degrees from Vassar College and Princeton University. She lives with her husband and daughter in Hopewell, New Jersey, where she is at work on her next novel.
