Create a free Bookclubs account to organize your book club, get reading recommendations, view hundreds of discussion guides, and more!
Between the Sound and Sea
Every family has its secrets. Josephina Harris wouldn't mind if her family still had a few of their own after a lawsuit tarnishes their name. When an opportunity opens to become a temporary keeper of a decommissioned lighthouse on a North Carolina island, she jumps at the chance to escape her small town to oversee its restoration.
As the work begins, "Joey" discovers strange notes tucked deep in the crevices of the old stone walls--pages torn from a lighthouse keeper's log signed by someone named Mae who recounts harrowing rescues at sea. Fascinated by a woman lighthouse keeper, Joey digs into the past only to discover there's never been a record of a lighthouse keeper by that name.
When things start to go amiss on the island, locals are convinced that it is the ghost of the lighthouse keeper and his daughter who were lost at sea during World War II. As Joey sifts through decades of rumors and legends and puts together the pieces of the past, what emerges is a love story--one that's not over yet.
Multiple Christy Award winner Amanda Cox is your guide upon the raging seas of young love, heartbreaking loss, and learning to risk it all for a chance at happiness in this timeless novel.
This discussion guide was shared and sponsored in partnership with Baker Publishing Group.
Book club questions for Between the Sound and Sea by Amanda Cox
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
The scandal wrongly attributed to Joey’s family disrupted their lives so much that it caused her parents to sell their home and move. Until now, Joey was convinced that people would come to their senses if she stayed put and continued to prove herself trustworthy. If you had been in Joey‘s position, how would you have handled the townspeople’s treatment of her and her family?
What was your first impression of Finn? Did that change throughout the story? If so, what events changed your opinion?
Joey, Finn, Peter, and Walt are all wrestling with what to do with the regrets they carry. Which character’s struggles did you relate to most and why?
Why do you think the mysterious Saint Mae hid keeper logs in the lighthouse walls rather than destroy them or take them with her? What symbolic meaning did those logs have for this character?
What did you think of Joey‘s response to Peter when she discovered his role in the happenings on Bleakpoint Island? How would you have responded?
What key turning points in the story caused Joey to take a chance on starting over and pursuing happiness instead of holding on to her old ideals of life in Copper Creek?
What strengths do you see in Joey, Walt, Peter, and Finn when you first meet them? What are their weaknesses? Talk about how these characters grew throughout the book.
There are a lot of twists and turns in Between the Sound and Sea. What part of the story surprised you the most?
This story is filled with opportunities for second chances. Which of these characters’ fulfilled second chances were your favorite, and why?
Think about the way you’ve handled regret in your own life. What advice have people given you on dealing with regret? Do you agree with that advice?
Between the Sound and Sea Book Club Questions PDF
Click here for a printable PDF of the Between the Sound and Sea discussion questions