The Summer We Ran

When readers first meet Tess, she is in a hospital bed with her mother by her side. What did you initially think was occurring?

At the bonfire that Madeline Milton’s employees throw to kick off the summer, we learn that some younger employees took her guns, ultimately leading to their arrests. Tess is devastated by this, believing that this mistake they’ve committed will forever haunt their futures. Grant, on the other hand, believes otherwise. Who do you agree with on this issue and why?

Class disparity plays a pivotal role in this book, and each of the main characters has a very different perspective on it. Do you agree with any one of them? If so, why? And if not, what do you believe?

Do you agree with Grant and Tess when they both decide that not disclosing their past teenage relationship would be more beneficial to each of their campaigns? If not, how do you think they should have handled it?

Kay’s life is so intertwined with Richard’s that she ultimately feels as if she couldn’t leave him. Do you think Kay could have gotten out of her marriage and forged a life on her own? Or were the constraints that Richard imposed upon her too much for her to escape?

Kay’s death is a huge turning point for all the other characters in the book. Do you think if she had lived, Tess and Grant’s relationship would’ve lasted? And what do you think the Alexander household would've been like afterward?

Tess and Grant have opposing views on whose decision it really is when it comes down to what to do with their unexpected pregnancy—Tess believes it is solely her choice to make, since it is her body, while Grant believes that both people involved should decide. With whom did you agree? Did each of their arguments allow you to see the issue differently?

Tess must deal—much more than Grant—with the invasion of her privacy as she campaigns. As a woman in the political spotlight, this is nothing new. Do you think you’d be able to handle that? Does this deter you from ever wanting to be in any type of spotlight? Or motivate you?

Each of our protagonists has strong stances on specific issues— whether they’re political, about class disparity, or involve matters of the heart. Do you think that if one of them had given in, it would have led them earlier to a happy ending? Or do you think that their fates were sealed?

How did you feel about the ending? Were you satisfied, or do you wish it had ended with a more straightforward “happily ever after”?

Do you believe Tess and Grant will one day end up together? Why or why not?

If you were able to choose a different path when you were younger to prevent overwhelming heartbreak, would you take it?