by Sandi Ward
Finally, thank you so much to my family and friends—and, of course, to my readers. I have heard from thoughtful readers who have struggled with some of the same issues my characters have dealt with, whether it’s a spouse with mental illness or an alcoholic parent, and I value hearing everyone’s story. I’ve also heard from animal lovers who enjoy reading from the point of view of cats—our best friends and companions. I appreciate it when anyone takes time out of their busy day to read one of my stories, and I hope you enjoyed What Holds Us Together! You can visit my website, sandiwardbooks.com, to connect with me, or find me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter at@sandiwardbooks. Let me know what kind of story you’d like to read next, and maybe I’ll have a recommendation . . . or maybe I can write the story you’ve been looking for.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
WHAT HOLDS US TOGETHER
Sandi Ward
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are included to
enhance your group’s reading
of Sandi Ward’s What Holds Us Together!
Discussion Questions
1. Some people have multiple romances (and/or marriages) in a lifetime. Do you think everyone has just one great love (the “love of your life”) and soul mate, or is it possible to have more than one?
2. What do you think Sam represents for Annika? An idealistic return to the past, or a hopeful future?
3. Delilah and Donovan process their father’s death differently, but stay close despite this difference. Do you have members of your own family who reacted to a life-changing event differently? How did that impact their relationship?
4. Peter loses his leg, but he doesn’t think of himself as living with a disability and doesn’t talk about the accident where he lost his leg. Did you feel this was a coping mechanism? Was he in denial? Was this a healthy way for him to deal with his loss?
5. Annika’s grief overwhelms her to the point where she decides to follow Peter’s mother’s suggestion and send the twins to boarding school. What do you think would have happened if Sam hadn’t shown up? Would she have gone through with it?
6. When the story opens, Peter has already died, yet he plays a role in the book. Have you read other novels where a ghost, lingering spirit, or angel interacts with characters? What do you think about authors using a ghost as a character?
7. Why would Sam consider allowing his brother to burn down the house their father is building? Have you ever watched as a sibling, friend, or colleague did something you thought was a big mistake? Did you try and talk them out of it? Why or why not?
8. Why do you think Danny decided to allow Donovan to keep seeing his daughter? Was it just the fire, or something more?
9. Have you ever been stuck in a debilitating storm (snow or other type of weather situation)? How did it impact everyone in the house? Do you think losing heat and/or electricity for an extended period of time would change the way your family members interact with each other?
10. Do you have memories from high school that you’d rather forget? Did the mistakes you made as a teenager help you learn and grow, or does it just cause you grief to think about them?
11. The story is told in two points of view: Annika and Luna. Did you relate to one character more than the other? Did you enjoy having two narrators, and did the cat’s point of view inform the larger story?
