When Graham proposes on page 213, he asks Quinn to weather the 'Category 5 moments' with him.

What does this moment mean for their relationship? Discuss other ways in which this scene could have unfolded to avoid-or worsen-what followed.Ĩ. In Chapter Fourteen, as Graham drunkenly confesses a fraction of his frustrations with how things are between them now, Quinn retreats deeper into herself. In what ways has she lost her identity to the concept of being a mother at any cost? Is she truly doing this for herself, for Graham, or for the people they imagined they would be ten years from their wedding night?ħ. On page 71, as she’s getting over Ethan, Quinn thinks, 'When you associate yourself with another person for so long, it’s difficult becoming your own person again.' However, think about everything Quinn has gone through to have a child with Graham. In what ways did this affect her pursuit of motherhood and her relationship with Graham, her sister, Ava, and others? Do you think she would have reacted differently if she’d had a better relationship with her own mother? Or a support group of women who’d gone through the same experience?Ħ. Aside from the pressure she places on herself, society’s expectations and others’ constant questions of when she and Graham will have a child of their own weigh heavily on Quinn. Why is it so hard for Quinn to express her true feelings to Graham? Why does Graham pour his heart out in letters, only to lock them away in the box?ĥ. Quinn and Graham’s marital problems stem from miscommunication, misunderstandings, and secrets. Discuss the differences between how she was 'Then' versus 'Now.' How has her self-esteem and self-perception been affected by her inability to conceive?Ĥ. What began as a beautiful dream of shared parenthood with Graham becomes a single-minded and solitary obsession with conceiving for Quinn. Can a relationship based on 'kismet' last the test of time?ģ.

'Now,' faced with the challenges of the present that have built up over eight years of marriage, their relationship could potentially fall apart in an instant. When we see them 'Then,' Quinn and Graham’s relationship seems effortless. Sitting in the hallway outside Ethan’s apartment, Quinn cracks open a fortune cookie that reads 'If you only shine light on your flaws, all your perfects will dim.' How does this foreshadow the present-day scenes in the novel? Discuss the stark contrast between the 'Then' and 'Now' chapters.Ģ.

All your perfects book