This reading group guide for You Were Always Mine includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Introduction

The acclaimed author of Little Broken Things returns with another “race-to-the-finish family drama” (People) about a single mother who becomes embroiled in a mystery that threatens to tear apart what’s left of her family. A harrowing story of tenacious love and heartbreaking betrayal, You Were Always Mine is about the wars we wage to keep the ones we love close.

Topics & Questions for Discussion

1. Considering her marriage, Jess thinks: “I love you . . . And I’m afraid you’ve forgotten to love me back.” Do you think this is accurate? Who do you blame for Jessica and Evan’s separation? Do you think one of them is more at fault than the other? Why or why not?

2. Jessica’s relationship with her sons is complicated. Do you agree with her parenting style? What, if anything, do you think she needs to change?

3. Evan and Jessica have one biological child and one adopted child. Are there differences in the way they treat their children?

4. It’s no secret that Max blames Jessica for his parents’ separation. Why do you think this is? Do you agree with Max? Why or why not?

5. Talking to a student, Jess says: “If you smile, they’ll never guess you’re scared.” Is this good advice? Why or why not?

6. As the novel progresses, Jessica’s feelings for Gabe’s birth mother change. Do you find her attitude at the beginning of the book understandable or deplorable? Somewhere in between?

7. Near the end of the book we find a short letter from Evan to Jessica. In it he says, “Love makes a family, and sometimes love tears a family apart.” What do you think he means? Can you relate to this sentiment?

8. One of the central themes of the novel is family. Share a bit about your own family. How have you been knit together? Do you think blood is stronger than water? Or does love conquer all?

9. Meredith’s betrayal is so ugly but her motivations are complicated. Do you understand, even a little, why she worked with James Rosenburg on Initium Novum?

10. Even when Jessica knows everything that Meredith has done, she can’t help but worry about her former best friend’s husband and children. Do you see her concern as weakness or naïveté?

11. What kind of a person is Jessica? Do you have hope for her and her boys by the end of the book?

12. Max and Gabe both play big roles in the book. What did you like about them? Do you believe they’ll be okay after the death of their father and all they went through?

13. If you had an adopted child, would you want to have a relationship with the birth family? If you gave a baby up for adoption, would you want to be in contact with the adoptive family? Why or why not?

14. The novel touches on issues of women’s rights, child neglect and abuse, and incarceration. What, if anything, did you learn? What issue touched your heart or sparked a passion in you?

Enhance Your Book Club

1. Anna tries to show love to her stepdaughter and stepgrandsons through food and fellowship. Make some comfort food and gather your book club close for some great conversation and time together. You could have a hot chocolate bar (marshmallows, salted caramel sauce, candy canes, whipped cream, etc.), enjoy bowls of warm potato soup, make homemade brownies, or whatever else feels friendly and inviting to you!

2. Jessica is an English teacher and there are several references to classic literature throughout the novel. Choose a short story or a few poems to share with your book club. “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin might be a good choice. The entire story takes place over the course of a single hour after Louise Mallard hears that her husband is dead. There are some similarities (and many differences) between Louise’s experience and Jessica’s. Discuss these with your book club.

3. Every chapter of You Were Always Mine begins with a brief anecdotal biography of an incarcerated woman. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, 219,000 women are incarcerated in the United States (Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, October 19, 2017). Take a moment to write a letter of encouragement or find some other way to alleviate the suffering of a woman in prison. A quick Internet search will turn up many resources, but if you’re not sure where to begin, check out PrisonFellowship.org, ThriveGlobal.com, or WagingNonviolence.org.

4. Evan let his obsession come between him and his family. Have an array of blank cards available at your book club gathering and encourage attendees to take a moment to write a note reaching out to a family member or friend. It could be someone they haven’t talked to in a while, or just a loved one that they want to encourage. Never underestimate the power of a handwritten letter!