2. Nonie has always had a plan for her life and an unrelenting determination to succeed. How did that single-mindedness affect her personal life? Was she unable to appreciate the present because she was always striving for the future? Do you think that made her unlovable?
3. What was it about Sarah and Nonie’s friendship that the loss of it impacted their lives for so many years to come and later makes them act the way they do? Do you think they are different from people who are raised with their biological families? What, if anything, do they have in common?
4. After June’s death, Ilona begins to wonder if perhaps June did love her, in her own way. What led her to this realization? Do you agree with her? Ilona has always been afraid that maybe she didn’t try hard enough to make June love her. Do you think she still tries too hard? What could she have done differently?
5. When the book begins, Reesa has been feeling worn down in her career as a caseworker. What was it about her last case that pushed her over the brink? Do you think she did the right thing to leave this area of social work and find another job? Do you think you could do and see the things she does if it meant you could make a difference?
6. Sarah, Reesa, and Ilona are thrust together because of one little girl. Do you think they could have become friends without Leila? Will they stay friends after this or will they drift apart like Sarah and Nonie did so many years before? Why do you think this might happen?
7. Why do you think Sarah is so adamant about adopting Leila? Is she adopting her for the right reasons? Or is it to fill a hole inside herself? Despite Sarah never having had a mother growing up, do you think she could be a good mother? Is it possible for her loss to make her an even better one?
8. Is there a specific moment that was a turning point in Sarah and Leila’s relationship? Or do you think it was a series of moments that created a feeling of normalcy for them? Have you ever experienced this?
9. One of the central themes of this novel is the question of where a child really belongs. There seems to be no easy answer. Is the bond between a child and his or her birth mother so strong that no one else can replace it? Do you think adoptive parents can fill that void and even become more to their children?
10. Do you think you could ever become a foster or an adoptive parent? Or if you already are, could you share your experience with the group? How has it changed you? Are there things you’ve learned about yourself, good or bad, through the process?
About the Author
SHELLEY NOBLE is a former professional dancer and choreographer and has worked on a number of films. She lives at the Jersey shore where she loves to visit lighthouses and vintage carousels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America.
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Also by Shelley Noble
Whisper Beach
A Newport Christmas Wedding (Novella)
Breakwater Bay
Stargazey Nights (Novella)
Stargazey Point
Holidays at Crescent Cove
Beach Colors
Credits
Cover design by Elsie Lyons
Cover photograph © BlueOrange Studio / Shutterstock
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
FOREVER BEACH. Copyright © 2016 by Shelley Freydont. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-243906-2
EPub Edition JUNE 2016 ISBN: 9780062439086
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