28 Summers

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What were your overall impressions of 28 Summers? Discuss what you liked most and least about the book.
• Like this novel, many of Elin Hilderbrand’s novels, including The Perfect Couple (2018) and Summer of '69 (2019) are set primarily in Nantucket. Does this novel stand out in any way? What makes the setting appealing?
• Compare this novel to others in the romance genre. What distinguishes it?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Reflect on any part of the book that evoked a strong emotional response (for example, Mallory’s cancer returning or her son and Jake’s daughter bonding).
• Discuss how the novel’s characters and their decisions (for instance, the relationships among Mallory, Cooper, and Jake; the various infidelities and attitudes toward infidelity) resonate with your personal views or experiences.
• The novel’s symbols and motifs include food, the primary setting (Nantucket Island), and baseball. These things all figure significantly into the characters’ lives. Discuss the significance of preparing food preparation, being in a particular place, and/or enjoying a particular sport in your own life.
• Do the book’s themes (which center on the nuance and guilt associated with public versus private expectations, the unique experience of love during parenthood, and the dynamic between romantic relationships and self-assurance) resonate with you? If so, why?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Analyze how the book reflects or comments on current societal attitudes toward infidelity, particularly for people (like Ursula) who enter politics and thus have highly scrutinized lives. When Ursula learns of Jake’s relationship with Mallory, she asks him to end it because of her presidential aspirations. Does this political reality differ for women and men in politics?
• The novel’s themes include Nuance and Guilt: Public Versus Private Expectations, Parenthood as a Unique Experience of Love, and Forgoing Romantic Relationships as an Expression of Self-Assurance. Explore how these themes reflect today’s world. Did you identify any other themes? If so, share and discuss them with your group.

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• As the book’s title indicates, it spans 28 years, devoting a chapter to each year. However, the book’s Prologue, set in the 28th year (2020), reveals that Mallory is dying of brain cancer. How did this revelation—before Chapter 1 flashes back 28 years (to 1993)—affect your experience of the story? Would you have preferred not to know? If so, why?
• Discuss the development and relatability of the key characters, including Mallory, Jake, Cooper, Ursula, Leland, and Frazier. Which character did you most relate to and why?
• Explore the significance of the Nantucket Island setting and its contribution to the book’s tone. Contrast this setting with the book’s limited scenes set on the US mainland.
• Identify and discuss Hilderbrand’s use of literary devices (e.g., irony, foreshadowing, writing style) in the novel.

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If you were charged with adapting 28 Summers into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles? How might you approach scripting, location scouting, production design, musical score, and other aspects of the project?
• Create a playlist that captures the mood or themes of the book and/or that includes selections reflecting various characters.
• Imagine a sequel or continuation of the story centering on Mallory’s son, Link, and Jake’s daughter, Bess.

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