Synopses & Reviews
New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah “touches the deepest, most tender corner of our hearts” (Tami Hoag). Her last novel,
Between Sisters, was chosen by CBSs
The Early Show as one of the best books of the summer. Now she returns with
The Things We Do for Love—a poignant, evocative story that celebrates the magic of motherhood, the joys of coming home, and the price we so willingly pay for love.
The youngest of three daughters, Angela DeSaria Malone was always “the princess” of the family, a girl who thought she knew how her life would unfold. High School. College. Marriage. Motherhood. That was how it had gone for her sisters, her cousins, her friends. But it didnt work out that way for Angie. She and her husband tried desperately to have a child; year after year, their perfectly decorated nursery remained empty. Finally, their marriage collapsed under the weight of lost dreams.
After the divorce, Angie moved back to her hometown and rejoined her loud, loving, slightly crazy family. In West End, a place where life rises and falls in time with the tides, she will find the man who once again will open her heart to love . . . and meet the girl who will change Angies life.
Lauren Ribido lives in a rundown apartment in a bad part of town with a mother who cares more about her next drink than about her daughter. At seventeen, Lauren knows that her aspirations in life may never come to pass.
From the moment they meet, Angie sees something special in Lauren. They form a quick connection, this woman who is desperate for a daughter and the girl who has never known a mothers love. When Lauren is abandoned by her mother, Angie doesnt hesitate to offer the girl a place to stay.
But nothing could have prepared Angie for the far-reaching repercussions of this act of kindness. In a dramatic turn of events, she and Lauren will be tested in a way that mothers and daughters seldom are. Together they will embark on an intensely moving, deeply emotional journey to the very heart of what it means to be a family.
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Kristin Hannah is the bestselling author of
On Mystic Lake, Angel Falls, Summer Island, Distant Shores, and
Between Sisters. She lives with her husband and son in the Pacific Northwest. Visit her online at www.kristinhannah.com
From the Hardcover edition.
Reading Group Guide
1.
On Mystic Lake opens with two scenes of leaving—Natalie fleeing California for England, and Blake quitting his marriage. How do these two acts set the tone for the rest of the book? Why is it significant that Annie has little choice, in these decisions?
2. At the beginning of the novel, how is Annie, in effect, trapped by her own image? How has she fashioned that persona? Is it the creation of her husband, Blake?
3. Why do you think Kristin Hannah tells the story through several narrative points of view, including those of Annie, Blake, Nick, and Izzy? How does this impact your understanding of the novel? Is there one character that you consider to be the true voice of On Mystic Lake?
4. After Blake asks for a divorce, Annie admits that shes put her familys needs above her own. What events in her past have spurred her to do so? How has she been rewarded for her selflessness, and how has it been damaging to her development?
5. Annie and Nick are both linked by loss in their families. How does learning to live alone—and discovering yourself in the process—constitute a theme of the book? In your opinion, who is the most successful at forging his or her own identity? Why?
6. Why didnt Kathy and Annie keep in touch after high school? Do you think that Annie felt guilty for losing contact? Why or why not?
7. Why do you think Nick chooses to date and marry Kathy, in lieu of Annie? How does this decision affect the dynamic of the “gruesome threesome”? Ultimately, do you think Nick made the correct choice? Based on his memories of Kathy, do you think he truly loved his wife? Why or why not?
8. How does Annie react when she learns of Kathys suicide? What do you think drove Kathy to end her life? How has it affected Nick and, most notably, Izzy?
9. Why is taking care of Nick and Izzy so important to Annie? How does she make the child feel cherished and cared for? What is it about Annie that appeals to Izzy, and vice versa? How does Annies relationship with Natalie parallel the rapport she enjoys with Izzy?
10. The relationships between fathers and daughters are integral to the development of both parties in On Mystic Lake. Compare and contrast the relationships of Hank and Annie, Blake and Natalie, and Nick and Izzy. What does each daughter want from her father? As the story unfolds, do the fathers become more receptive to their daughters needs, and if so, how? In your opinion, who has the greatest chance to establish and maintain a successful father-daughter relationship?
11. What does the compass symbolize to Annie? Why does she stop wearing it around her neck, and begin to wear it again later? Why does she give it to Izzy?
12. “It doesnt matter,” Annie says to Nick about her love for him. At that point, why doesnt she believe that her passion for Nick can guide her life? How is she a pragmatist, and how is she a romantic? Ultimately, what compels her to change her mind and leave Blake?
13. Kathy didnt want to “live in the darkness.” How do each of the characters in the book deal with grief, depression, and loneliness? What coping mechanisms do they use to cope and grow?
14. Why does Izzy stop talking? What compels her to speak again, and how is Annie instrumental in drawing Izzy out? How does Annie facilitate mending the breach between father and daughter?
15. “Our lives are mapped out long before we know enough to ask the right questions,” says Nick. What questions do you think Nick would like to ask? In what ways are Nick and Annie trapped by having to do what is expected of them? Ultimately, how do they exercise free will over their own lives? How do the other characters in the novel do the same?
16. Annies known in various ways—including Annie Bourne, Annalise Colwater, Mrs. Blake Colwater, mother, wife. How does each name or designation constitute a different identity? At the end of the book, has she embraced one or the other of these identities, or has she developed a new one? How does she incorporate each of these identities into a newly forged character?
17. What compels Blake to end his affair with Suzannah and call Annie? Why doesnt she immediately return to him and to her marriage? How does he exhibit his love for her?
18. How does Annies relationship with her daughter change once Natalie goes to England? In which ways does Natalie look up to and admire Annie? With what aspects of her mothers character does Natalie find fault? Do you think Natalies personality is at all similar to her fathers?
How?
19. How does Annies pregnancy represent a turning point for her? Why does she return to Blake after she realizes shes carrying his child? Why doesnt she remain with Nick?
20. How do you think Annie would act and feel after signing her divorce papers? How is this character different than the one we meet at the beginning of the book? Why does Annie feel buoyant at the end of the story?
21. Do you believe that at the end of the story Annie will have a joyous reunion with Nick and Izzy? Will she open that bookstore in Mystic? Why or why not?
From the Hardcover edition.