by Meg Donohue
I’m happy to report that writing this novel has not stopped me from feeling haunted by Wuthering Heights. It’s a novel I will always return to, finding new insight with each reading, and I’m sure it will continue to inspire me, popping up here and there in my future writing. After all, as Merrow’s father says in You, Me, and the Sea, “The past never leaves us. It only changes shape.”
Questions for Discussion
These questions reveal plot points and are best read upon completion of the novel.
The central characters in You, Me, and the Sea have strong connections to the sea. For some, the sea brings a sense of peace; for others, heartache. How would you describe Merrow’s relationship with the sea? How would you describe her father’s? Her mother’s? Bear’s? Amir’s?
Consider this quote: “My father used to tell me that each touch from the sea, even one as soft as an exhaled breath, forever changed not only the land, but the shape of the sea itself. True love’s embrace, my father called it. Ever-changing. Eternal.” In what ways do the relationships in the novel mirror the relationship of the sea and the land? In what ways does falling in love change the lives of these characters? In what ways does the love between these characters change over time, and in what ways is it eternal?
As a teenager, Merrow is made to feel ashamed of her feelings for Amir, though she is not related to him by blood. How would you describe their connection?
Stories are an important part of this novel. Through folklore, Merrow’s father came to believe in the healing power of the sea. What is the significance of stories to Merrow? How does her love for stories relate to her desire to work with children?
While Merrow has a connection to the sea, Amir has a connection to the land. Consider this quote: “Dad told us how our trees—trees that drank the coastal fog—grew deep roots in order to find moisture where they could, seeking out hidden reserves far below the dry surface soil. Adversity makes them stronger, my father said. Heartier.” In what ways does this passage shed light on Amir’s connection to Horseshoe Cliff?
In one of the final scenes, Merrow learns important information about her brother, Bear. How does this knowledge change her feelings for her brother and her understanding of the past? In what ways, if any, did this revelation change how you felt about Bear and his actions throughout the novel?
For those who have read Wuthering Heights, what are some of the similarities that you notice between Emily Brontë’s novel and You, Me, and the Sea? What are some of the differences?
Will’s family helps Merrow leave a dangerous situation. What are some of the other aspects of Will and Merrow’s relationship that make it strong? What do they see in each other?
In what ways does the setting of You, Me, and the Sea reflect the inner lives of the characters and heighten the narrative’s drama?
Do you like where—and with whom—the characters found themselves at the end of the novel? Do you think Merrow made the right decision? If you were to rewrite this novel’s ending, what would you change?
Read On
More Books by Meg Donohue
EVERY WILD HEART
* * *
Passionate and funny, radio personality Gail Gideon is a true original. Nine years ago when Gail’s husband announced that he wanted a divorce, her ensuing on-air rant propelled her local radio show into the national spotlight. Now, The Gail Gideon Show is beloved by millions of single women who tune in for her advice on the power of self-reinvention. But fame comes at a price, and escalating threats from a troubled fan make Gail worry for the safety of her daughter, Nic.
Fourteen-year-old Nic has always felt that she pales in comparison to her vibrant, outgoing mother. Plagued by a fear of social situations, she is most comfortable at the stable where she spends her afternoons. But when a riding accident lands Nic in the hospital, she awakens from her coma changed. Suddenly, she has no fear at all, and her disconcerting behavior lands her in one risky situation after another. And no one, least of all her mother, can guess what she will do next.
“Every Wild Heart should be on every reader’s list of new books to savor. It’s a heartfelt, funny, poignant, and suspenseful story of a good woman trying her best, making mistakes, picking up the pieces, and moving on—a celebration of what it means to be a working mother.”
—Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Family Tree
DOG CRAZY
* * *
As a pet bereavement counselor, Maggie Brennan uses a combination of empathy, insight, and humor to help patients cope with the anguish of losing their beloved four-legged friends. Though she has a gift for guiding others through difficult situations, Maggie has major troubles of her own that threaten the success of her counseling practice and her volunteer work with a dog rescue organization.
Everything changes when a distraught woman shows up at Maggie’s office and claims that her dog has been stolen. Searching the streets of San Francisco for the missing pooch, Maggie finds herself entangled in a mystery that forces her to finally face her biggest fear—and to open her heart to new love.
“Even if my daughter hadn’t recently rescued a dog, our first, I would have fallen in love with Meg Donohue’s Dog Crazy. On these pages you will find love, healing, forgiveness, and pure unbridled joy of the human and canine kind.”
—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife
ALL THE SUMMER GIRLS
* * *
In Philadelphia, good girl Kate is dumped by her fiancé the day she learns she is pregnant with his child. In New York City, beautiful stay-at-home mom Vanessa finds herself obsessively searching the internet for news of an old flame. And in San Francisco, Dani, the wild child and aspiring writer who can’t seem to put down a book—or a cocktail—long enough to open her laptop, has just been fired . . . again.
In an effort to regroup, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani retreat to the New Jersey beach town where they once spent their summers. Emboldened by the seductive cadences of the shore, the women begin to realize just how much their lives, and friendships, have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful night on the beach eight years earlier—and the secrets that only now threaten to surface.
“Beach Book Extraordinaire! Donohue’s three protagonists are irresistibly sympathetic as they try to unbury their true selves from the ruinous secrets of their shared past.”
—Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Day and The Matchmaker
HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE
* * *
Free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated Julia St. Clair come from two different worlds. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clairs’ housekeeper, Annie grew up in Julia’s San Francisco mansion and they forged a bond that only two little girls oblivious to class differences could—until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship.
A decade later, Annie bakes to fill the void left in her heart by her mother’s death, and a painful secret jeopardizes Julia’s engagement to the man she loves. A chance reunion prompts the unlikely duo to open a cupcakery, but when a mysterious saboteur opens old wounds, they must finally face the truth about their past or risk losing everything.
“Beautifully written and quietly wise, How to Eat a Cupcake is an achingly honest portrayal of the many layers of friendship—a story so vividly told, you can (almost) taste the buttercream.”
—Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author of The Violets of March and Blackberry Winter
Remarkable Praise for Meg Donohue
Every Wild Heart
“Every Wild Heart . . . [is] a heartfelt, funny, poignant, and suspenseful story of a good woman trying her best, making mistakes, picking up the pieces, and moving on—a celebration of what it means to be a working mother.”
—Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Family Tree
“Every Wild Heart is Meg Donohue’s finest novel to date—emotionally resonant, absorbing, and funny in all the righ
t places, it’s a portrait of mothers and daughters, missteps and triumphs, and love in all of its bewildering and delightful disguises.”
—Meg Mitchell Moore, author of The Admissions
“Donohue’s latest is women’s fiction at its finest, a masterfully unfeigned story about unconditional love and its healing power mixed with a thrilling mystery. Her animated dialogue sets the tone, and the human and equine costars add genuineness. . . . [A] fast-paced, bestseller-bound page-turner.”
—RT Book Reviews (top pick)
“[An] artful combination of mystery, love, and a mother-daughter tale of self-discovery.”
—Redbook, “20 Must-Read Books for Spring 2017”
Dog Crazy
“Wonderful! Anyone who has ever loved and lost a dog will find wisdom and comfort in this sweet, smart story.”
—Allie Larkin, author of Stay
“Donohue has written a delightful tale with heart-wrenching emotions (both high and low), entertaining high jinks, and a well-deserved happy ending for the many vivid characters you’ll grow to love. . . . An entertaining, can’t-put-down page-turner you’ll want to share.”
—RT Book Reviews (top pick)
All the Summer Girls
“A fast-paced novel about the enduring friendship of three young women who spent their summers in Avalon on the Jersey shore before dispersing across the country. . . . A good beach read.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Beach Book Extraordinaire! Donohue’s three protagonists are irresistibly sympathetic as they try to unbury their true selves from the ruinous secrets of their shared past.”
—Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author
“All the Summer Girls celebrates the healing power of friendship for three very different young women with a shared past and different roles in the same guilty secret. . . . [A] compassionate portrait of what it means to be adrift—in love, and in one’s own sense of self—with engaging heroines both flawed and utterly real.”
—Nichole Bernier, author of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D
“An honest and engaging look at the complicated and powerful bonds of female friendship. Donohue takes us on a weekend reunion full of secrets, resentment, and regret—in other words, once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down!”
—Jennifer Close, bestselling author of Girls in White Dresses
“Donohue captures the beauty and frustration of reconnecting with old friends—they know you so well, and they don’t know you at all. Perfect for a staycation for readers who like the beachy drama of Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Wiggs.”
—Booklist
“Engaging.”
—E! Online, “The Best Summer Reads 2014”
“Donohue gives the chick-lit buddy trope an appealing twist and a lot of depth, turning a familiar yarn of regret, trust, and loyalty into an elegant ode to late bloomers.”
—Publishers Weekly
How to Eat a Cupcake
“Beautifully written and quietly wise, Meg Donohue’s How to Eat a Cupcake is an achingly honest portrayal of the many layers of friendship—a story so vividly told, you can (almost) taste the buttercream.”
—Sarah Jio, author of The Violets of March and The Bungalow
“Deliciously engaging. Donohue writes with charm and grace. What could be better than friendship and cupcakes?”
—Rebecca Rasmussen, author of The Bird Sisters
“Donohue has written a sharp little novel featuring the subtle characterizations of two appealingly flawed young women.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Also by Meg Donohue
Every Wild Heart
Dog Crazy
All the Summer Girls
How to Eat a Cupcake
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
YOU, ME, AND THE SEA. Copyright © 2019 by Meg Donohue Preuss, trustee of the Preuss Family Trust. 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, downloaded, 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.
Cover design by Lauren Harms
Cover photograph © PeopleImages/istock/Getty Images (Woman); © Marie LaFauci/Getty Images (Coastline)
FIRST EDITION
Digital Edition MAY 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-242986-5
Version 03262019
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-242985-8 (paperback)
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-291356-2 (hardcover library edition)
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