All the Tomorrows After

Sung wants to spend time with Winter, the daughter he abandoned as a child, but Winter only agrees to meet him if she is paid for that time. What are the outcomes, both good and bad, that could result from this arrangement? What would you have done in Winter’s position?

Describe Halmoni. What is her personality like, and how does she manifest her love and care for Winter? Why is Halmoni such an important figure in Winter’s life?

Winter holds on to three postcards from her father, Sung, each featuring a different landmark in Paris, Rome, and Kyoto. What do these postcards symbolize for her, and how do her father’s travels influence Winter’s dreams for herself? Do you ever imagine yourself in another place? Where and why?

Describe Sunny in relation to her identity as a mother. In what ways does she fail to meet Winter’s needs? How would you describe a “good mother”?

Winter works several jobs, including ones that are ethically questionable. She also meets with Sung in order to earn and save money. What do Winter’s savings mean to her? How are her priorities different from those of the other teens in the story?

When describing Sung, Halmoni says, “‘He was like a son to me, your father . . . Sometimes I can’t help but hate him, too, for leaving like he did. But try to remember: no one is completely bad or completely good. We are all morally gray.’” (Chapter thirty) How does this moral ambiguity show itself in Sung? What about in Winter?

Grief is a prominent theme in this story. How does Winter describe her grief over Halmoni’s condition after the stroke? How does Winter’s grief change after Halmoni’s passing? Consider the grieving processes of other characters as well. How do Sung, Helena, Joon, and Sunny process and cope with grief?

Joon goes from being the New Kid to becoming Winter’s closest and most trusted friend. How does Joon earn Winter’s trust and friendship? How is he different from other people in her life?

Winter dwells on how her grandmother died alone. She says, “The memories are cruel. I let them swallow me because I deserve it. I deserve the punishment and the pain that comes with it, so piercing I can’t breathe.” (Chapter forty-six) Why does Winter punish herself? Why does Joon? Do you agree with them that they deserve to be in pain? Why or why not?

Winter and Melody were childhood best friends. What changes strained their relationship, and how did each friend respond to these changes? Do you think Melody is a good friend? Why or why not? How do Winter and Melody work toward repairing their broken friendship?

“The past, present, and future are often described as separate entities, with clear boundaries between them. But there is no leaving the past behind when it continues to seep into the present.” (Chapter fifty-four) How is this statement true for Sung? For Sunny? What about for you? In what ways do you carry your past with you? How does the past influence your future plans?

The Korean concept of jeong is described in the book. Halmoni explains it as “affection, connection, invisible cords of kinship,” rooted over time and through shared experiences. (Chapter eighty-seven) Jeong is highly valued in Korean culture and is expressed through acts of love and service, signifying a deep bond and care for one another. In what ways is jeong cultivated and expressed by different characters such as Joon, Melody, and Avery?

Food is an important motif in the story. Winter cooks simple and cheap meals for herself, carefully selects snacks from Choco Pies to gummies at H Mart, and devours Joon’s homemade Korean lunches. What do these different foods represent in the story, and why are they important to Winter?

Winter thinks about “how a person is defined by what they love—their hobbies, their favorite songs, their preferred food. How it all dissipates once that person is gone. It’s up to those who remain to remember, to carry on the evidence of a life lived, a life treasured.” (Chapter sixty-one) Have you ever had to say goodbye to somebody? What do you remember about them? What were their idiosyncrasies, and why do they help you treasure that person?

Winter accepts that she cannot change much of what happens in life, such as Sung’s ALS prognosis and Halmoni’s death. “We have fallen apart, over and over, and we are still gathering the shards, trying to make them fit. But all mosaics begin in fragments. What was once broken can come back together in a different way.” (Chapter Graduation Day: 5:00 p.m.). What are some of the fragments that make up Winter’s life? What fragments make up your life? How do these different pieces create a whole picture, a whole life, a whole person?