by Nicole Baart
As I blaze my own path as a mother and an author, I have had so many people link arms with me, and I am beyond grateful to each and every one of them. Thanks to friend and fellow adoptive mom Nikolyn Kredit for planting the seed that grew into this story. Big bear hugs to Darcie Van Voorst, Juliana Else, Katrina Ten Napel, and Katie Nice, who keep me sane, offer the best advice, and make me laugh. Our social worker Heather Jackson made a bigger impact on our family than she’ll ever know. And of course, the birth mothers and foster moms who are a part of our story are among the best and most beautiful people I know. Thank you for trusting us.
In the writing realm, I’m eternally grateful to my Tall Poppy sisters. Thanks for being such good friends and advocates. Danielle Egan-Miller has been my faithful agent for nearly a decade now, and like fine wine our partnership only gets better with age. Editor Daniella Wexler and the entire team at Atria Books (Mirtha Pena, Kayley Hoffman, Bianca Salvant, and everyone else behind the scenes) have been amazing champions and cheerleaders. I’m so humbled to be supported by such a spectacular group of people.
I know I’m forgetting someone and it breaks my heart to do so, but be well assured of my gratitude and love. And please don’t take it personally. I routinely call my children by the wrong name, so clearly my memory is not everything it should be.
As always and forever, all my love to my favorite people, Aaron, Joseph, Isaac, Judah, Eve, and Matthias, as well as Mom and Dad and Amber and Andrew, who are our support system and safety net. And our dear BC Baarts and Kampens. I adore you all. None of this is possible without you.
Finally, reader, I write for you. I hope in some small way you were entertained, maybe even moved, by this story. Thanks for reading and for broadening your perspective by climbing inside another person’s skin and walking around in it. Don’t ever stop expanding your capacity for compassion.
xoxo
—Nicole
ATRIA PAPERBACKS READING GROUP GUIDE
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You Were Always Mine
NICOLE BAART
This reading group guide for You Were Always Mine includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
INTRODUCTION
The acclaimed author of Little Broken Things returns with another “race-to-the-finish family drama” (People) about a single mother who becomes embroiled in a mystery that threatens to tear apart what’s left of her family. A harrowing story of tenacious love and heartbreaking betrayal, You Were Always Mine is about the wars we wage to keep the ones we love close.
TOPICS & QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Considering her marriage, Jess thinks: “I love you . . . And I’m afraid you’ve forgotten to love me back.” Do you think this is accurate? Who do you blame for Jessica and Evan’s separation? Do you think one of them is more at fault than the other? Why or why not?
2. Jessica’s relationship with her sons is complicated. Do you agree with her parenting style? What, if anything, do you think she needs to change?
3. Evan and Jessica have one biological child and one adopted child. Are there differences in the way they treat their children?
4. It’s no secret that Max blames Jessica for his parents’ separation. Why do you think this is? Do you agree with Max? Why or why not?
5. Talking to a student, Jess says: “If you smile, they’ll never guess you’re scared.” Is this good advice? Why or why not?
6. As the novel progresses, Jessica’s feelings for Gabe’s birth mother change. Do you find her attitude at the beginning of the book understandable or deplorable? Somewhere in between?
7. Near the end of the book we find a short letter from Evan to Jessica. In it he says, “Love makes a family, and sometimes love tears a family apart.” What do you think he means? Can you relate to this sentiment?
8. One of the central themes of the novel is family. Share a bit about your own family. How have you been knit together? Do you think blood is stronger than water? Or does love conquer all?
9. Meredith’s betrayal is so ugly but her motivations are complicated. Do you understand, even a little, why she worked with James Rosenburg on Initium Novum?
10. Even when Jessica knows everything that Meredith has done, she can’t help but worry about her former best friend’s husband and children. Do you see her concern as weakness or naïveté?
11. What kind of a person is Jessica? Do you have hope for her and her boys by the end of the book?
12. Max and Gabe both play big roles in the book. What did you like about them? Do you believe they’ll be okay after the death of their father and all they went through?
13. If you had an adopted child, would you want to have a relationship with the birth family? If you gave a baby up for adoption, would you want to be in contact with the adoptive family? Why or why not?
14. The novel touches on issues of women’s rights, child neglect and abuse, and incarceration. What, if anything, did you learn? What issue touched your heart or sparked a passion in you?
ENHANCE YOUR BOOK CLUB
1. Anna tries to show love to her stepdaughter and stepgrandsons through food and fellowship. Make some comfort food and gather your book club close for some great conversation and time together. You could have a hot chocolate bar (marshmallows, salted caramel sauce, candy canes, whipped cream, etc.), enjoy bowls of warm potato soup, make homemade brownies, or whatever else feels friendly and inviting to you!
2. Jessica is an English teacher and there are several references to classic literature throughout the novel. Choose a short story or a few poems to share with your book club. “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin might be a good choice. The entire story takes place over the course of a single hour after Louise Mallard hears that her husband is dead. There are some similarities (and many differences) between Louise’s experience and Jessica’s. Discuss these with your book club.
3. Every chapter of You Were Always Mine begins with a brief anecdotal biography of an incarcerated woman. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, 219,000 women are incarcerated in the United States (Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, October 19, 2017). Take a moment to write a letter of encouragement or find some other way to alleviate the suffering of a woman in prison. A quick Internet search will turn up many resources, but if you’re not sure where to begin, check out PrisonFellowship.org, ThriveGlobal.com, or WagingNonviolence.org.
4. Evan let his obsession come between him and his family. Have an array of blank cards available at your book club gathering and encourage attendees to take a moment to write a note reaching out to a family member or friend. It could be someone they haven’t talked to in a while, or just a loved one that they want to encourage. Never under-estimate the power of a handwritten letter!
Need more books to feed your suspense kick? Look no further than Nicole Baart, the writer who "weaves exquisite writing with unstoppable drama" (bestselling author Randy Susan Meyers).
“If you liked Big Little Lies, you’ll want to crack open this new novel by Nicole Baart" (Southern Living), an engrossing and suspenseful novel about an affluent suburban family whose carefully constructed facade starts to come apart with the unexpected arrival of an endangered young girl.
Little Broken Things
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NICOLE BAART is the mother of five children from four different countries. The cofounder of a nonprofit organization, One Body One Hope, she lives in a small town in Iowa. She is the author of eight previous novels, including Little Broken Things and The Beautiful Daughters. Learn more at NicoleBaart.com.
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ALSO BY NICOLE BAART
Little Broken Things
The Beautiful Daughters
Sleeping in Eden
Far from Here
The Snow Angel
Beneath the Night Tree
The Moment Between
Summer Snow
After the Leaves Fall
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Nicole Baart
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Atria Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Atria Paperback edition October 2018
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
Cover design by Donna Cheng
Cover photographs by Mandy Godbehear / Alamy Stock Photo (Woman); Cultura Creative (RF) / Alamy Stock Photo (Boy); Plainpicture / Danel (Window)
Author photograph © Ellenvelde Photography
ISBN 978-1-5011-3362-6
ISBN 978-1-5011-3363-3 (ebook)