Distant Shores (30 page)

Authors: Kristin Hannah

BOOK: Distant Shores

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KH:
That's a great question. I saw Birdie as the kind of woman who needed a real push to change her life, so perhaps not. But that wouldn't have been a good thing.

RHRC:
What made you decide to write from both Elizabeth's and Jack's points of view? Did you feel empathy for one more than the other?

KH:
Initially I planned this novel to be written from only Elizabeth's point of view. I saw it as a woman's journey novel, but as the writing unfurled, I began to understand that Jack had a story to tell as well. Their lives were inextricably intertwined and their marriage was the core of that story. In the end, I wanted the reader to understand Jack's fears and insecurities and challenges as well as Birdie's.

RHRC:
Anita seemed like such a sweet, thoughtful stepmother. Why did you decide to have Elizabeth be so distant with her?

KH:
I wanted to explore the idea that sometimes we make judgments about people early on and never take the time to revisit those opinions. Especially as children, we can be wrong. Birdie didn't give Anita a chance because she was hurt and angry. It wasn't until she was older, and had more life experience, that she was able to see the truth of Anita's character. I always love the idea that we can fall in love with people after years of knowing them.

RHRC:
A small but important part of this novel concerns Birdie's relationship with her best friend, Meghann Dontess, who clearly doesn't believe in marriage. Why did you give Birdie a best friend who would challenge her so much?

KH:
Female friendship is an extremely important part of my own life. We all know that once you have a best friend, you're always going to hear the hard truth from herâeven when you don't want to. Birdie needed that. Additionally, it was important to me to show that Birdie had a support system. When I was writing Meghann's book,
Between Sisters
, it was really fun to check back
in on Birdie, and to show Meghann that sometimes love can surprise you when you least expect it.

RHRC:
What are you working on now?

KH:
My new novel,
Night Road
, is a story that's very close to my heart. Like many of my novels, it explores a time I know intimately: a mother facing an empty nest. I can honestly say that my son's senior year of high school was the best, worst, scariest, most challenging year of my life. We mothers are trying so hard to keep our kids safe, while they're doing their best to break free. So many choices have to be made, and so many difficult moments arise. It's a novel about finding a way to let your children go, even if you aren't ready, and even if you think they aren't ready.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1
. Why do women feel the need to give so much of themselves to their marriages and their children? If we give up too much willingly, whose fault is it that we end up unfulfilled?

2
. What do men give up for their marriages and families? Do you think society makes it difficult for men to be good fathers?

3
. In previous generations, men were expected primarily to “bring home the bacon.” How do you think changing societal expectations on fatherhood have put new pressures on men? Do you think Jack was a good father?

4
. Besides love, what else is needed to make a relationship last and be fulfilling for both parties?

5
. Jack tells Elizabeth that marriage “shouldn't be this hard.” Do you think this sentiment is true? Do couples give up too easily these days?

6
. At one point, Elizabeth takes a sledgehammer to break down the walls of her house. Why is this action so significant?

7
. Does Elizabeth truly realize her worth by the end? If so, why did it take her so long?

8
. Was it selfish of Jack to want to recapture some of the glory of his golden days? Should Elizabeth have seen it coming?

9
. Should Birdie forgive Jack for his infidelity with his assistant? If she does forgive him, does that say something about her newfound sense of self? If she doesn't, what does it say about her marriage?

10
. Is there a way to balance a marriage or a relationship so that one person does not give more than the other?

11
. What does freedom mean to a wife, to a mother?

12
. Should this have been a love story, ultimately? Or should Jack and Birdie have gotten a divorce and gone on with separate lives?

13
. Why did Kim keep attending the Passionless meetings when she just seemed distant from all the women and what they were trying to accomplish? Do you think people often pretend to try to change?

14
. Anita dressed a certain way because Edward liked it. Was she giving up some part of herself by giving him control over her attire? Do you think that Anita found it belittling or felt she was simply doing something nice for her husband? What if she genuinely did not care about what she wore or how her hair was styled?

15
. What did Birdie learn from Anita that changed her life?

16
. Is it sleeping your way up the ladder if someone genuinely cared about the person they had an affair with, and if career success wasn't their intention?

17
. Is it harder for fathers to connect with their daughters than it is for fathers to connect with their sons? Would Jack have
been more in tune with his children and their lives had they been boys instead of girls?

18
. How do you think Jack and Birdie's marriage will unfold in the years to come? Do you believe it's possible to fall back in loveâand trustâwith someone who broke your heart?

19
. How does Birdie's newfound sense of self, and her inner strength, contribute to a new kind of marriage for them?

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Distant Shores
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When Lightning Strikes
If You Believe Once in
Every Life