Cassidy and Owen take pride in their “fighting skills” compared with how their own parents and other married couples argue. What do you think about their method of giving each other time and space before talking out their differences? Does this seem to be working for them in relation to the miscarriage? What about before?
Cassidy doesn’t understand how one in four women have had a miscarriage yet she’s never met another woman who’s had one … unless she has. She wonders whether people simply don’t talk about it outside the protected spaces—marriage, with sisters, or even on internet forums. Why do you think miscarriage is something women can’t talk about, even with each other? In your experience, what stigmas are associated with pregnancy loss?
Claire tells Cassidy that it’s normal to be scared about motherhood and that she’ll be scared forever. What do you think she means by this? Is this true in your own experience?
Cassidy shares her loss on Instagram to mixed reviews. Some famous celebrities have made the news by coming forward and sharing their own losses in the media. They have faced similar reactions, a mixture of backlash and support. What do you think? Should more women share their stories openly, or is this something better discussed in private?
Common wisdom suggests that women wait until after the first trimester to share a positive pregnancy announcement. Women who’ve had miscarriages often disregard this advice. Cassidy’s of the opinion that there’s never a “safe” point in the pregnancy, so there’s no reason to wait on sharing the news. Others might wait until much later in the pregnancy to be sure they’re out of danger. What are your thoughts?
Owen loves clichés and catchphrases. How does this speak to Owen’s character? Do you have any that you are especially fond of or use frequently?
There are many instances in the novel where a character’s intentions differ from their actions. Joan is a prime example of this. She often thinks she is being helpful and supportive but is perceived much differently. Talk about this. If this intent is pure but the delivery is flawed, is it fair for Cassidy to react in the ways she does?
Cassidy sometimes compares her own pain to that of others and admits that she’s ashamed that it makes her feel better. Why do humans do this? Are you guilty of this sometimes too?
Cassidy and Tara have been friends since college. In the last fifteen years, a lot has changed, but they always seem to find their way back to each other. This is true of many female friendships that stand the test of time. How do you nurture your friendships while allowing for growth in your own life? Do you think Tara and Cassidy will be able to remain friends, or have they grown too far apart?
Owen wants nothing more than to “fix” Cassidy but feels helpless at every turn. How is renovating their house representative of him fixing their relationship? What does this say about how a dad reacts to miscarriage as opposed to a mom?
There are four points of view in the story, although the majority of space is dedicated to Cassidy’s viewpoint. Discuss how the other characters help you better understand Cassidy and the story as a whole. Do you have a favorite character? Whom do you relate to the most?
Who do you think has the biggest transformation over the course of the story? Which relationship is most changed?
Discuss the title of the novel. Each character has a unique perspective on what we carry as a person, mother, father, husband. What do you think the significance of the title is?
There’s a common expression: after every storm comes a rainbow. This theme is reflected throughout the novel. Lillie is Owen and Cassidy’s rainbow baby—the baby born after a loss. But a baby wasn’t the only rainbow and the miscarriage wasn’t the only storm in the novel. Discuss how sometimes things need to break before they can come back together, in both the novel and in real life.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
KALYN FOGARTY GREW UP on a horse farm in rural Massachusetts. When she’s not writing, she’s riding and training horses at Artemis Training and Sales, a showjumping farm in New York. She lives on the south shore of Long Island with her husband, two young daughters, and German shepherd rescue, Layla.
This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real or actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021 by Kalyn Fogarty
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Alcove Press, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Alcove Press and its logo are trademarks of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Library of Congress Catalog-in-Publication data available upon request.
ISBN (hardcover): 978-1-64385-847-0
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-64385-848-7
Cover illustration by Celeste Knudsen
Printed in the United States.
www.alcovepress.com
Alcove Press
34 West 27th St., 10th Floor
New York, NY 10001
First Edition: August 2021
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
What We Carry Page 30