Discussion Questions
1.In The Memory of You we see how Natalie struggles with the secret she has kept for so many years. Keeping secrets can be so damaging. Have you ever held on to a secret for longer than you should have?
2.Natalie’s relationship with her parents has been fractured since the death of her sister. Have you experienced a fractured relationship? How do you cope with that kind of pain, and if the situation was resolved, how did that come about?
3.Tanner has put the blame on his father for breaking up their family and basically abandoning him. Have you ever felt abandoned by a family member or friend?
4.Tanner and Natalie both have to face incredible loss. Do you think this played a part in their reconnecting? How do you think shared experiences shape our relationships?
5.Sometimes people make poor decisions with often tragic results. Have you ever been in a situation where you made a wrong choice and regretted the outcome? Or did you make the right choice and see what could have gone wrong had you not?
6.It’s often easy to blame ourselves when things happen that are out of our control, like Tanner and Natalie do. How do you think they could have handled their guilt differently?
7.Which characters in The Memory of You did you most relate to and why?
8.Natalie makes the hard choice to go against her father’s wishes to fight for what she believes in, regardless of how it might affect their relationship. Do you think she made the right choice?
9.What themes (grace, forgiveness) did you pick out from the story, and what spoke to you the most?
10.Letting go of the past is often the hardest challenge we face. Have you ever had to release something and allow God to heal you? What was the outcome?
11.Facing the reality of a loved one’s illness is always difficult. Did learning the truth about how Sarah handled Marnie and her marriage so many years ago change your perception of her?
12.What scene or overall impression from the story will stick with you, and why?
About the Author
CATHERINE WEST WRITES STORIES OF hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border collie for long walks on the beach or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two grown children. Visit her online at catherinejwest.com.
Facebook: CatherineJWest
Twitter: @cathwest
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