Reading Between The Wines discussion

1.When Alex first meets Katie, he senses that she is in trouble. How does he figure out what has happened to her?

2.What is the nature of Jo and Katie’s relationship? How does Jo help Katie adjust to her life in Southport?

3.Katie and Alex fall in love very quickly. What draws them together? Have you ever fallen in love so quickly? If not, do you think it’s possible?

4.On their first date, Alex says to Katie: “Everyone has a past, but that’s just it – it’s in the past. You can learn from it, but you can’t change it.” Do you agree with him? Is it possible to truly put the past behind you?

5.Alex is a widower who has had to raise two children on his own. How has he dealt with his grief in the years since his wife passed away? Have you experienced grief of this magnitude in your own life? How did you handle it?

6.When Katie tells Alex about Kevin she says: “I hate him, but I hate myself, too.” Why does she feel this way? How does Katie change as she spends more and more time in Southport? How is she different by the end of the book?

7.Despite his violent behavior and his incessant drinking, Kevin quotes the Bible constantly and takes the Ten Commandments seriously. How do you understand his behavior?

8.Katie’s past puts Alex and his family in potential danger. Do you think it was irresponsible of Alex to involve himself with a woman he knew could endanger him and his children?

9.Why do you think the author chose to write a portion of the book from Kevin’s perspective. Do you have any sympathy for Kevin? Why or why not?

10.Did reading this book give you a new or better understanding of domestic abuse?

11.At the end of the novel, Alex tells Katie he is sorry for her loss. What does he mean by this? How does Katie react?

12.What do you make of Katie’s discovery at the end of the novel? Do you find the book’s ending believable?

13.This novel is in large part about safety and trust and how we often take these two things for granted. Did this book make you think differently about your own life and the things you value?

1. Its been awhile but o believe Katie ends up telling Alex what happened to her over dinner

2. Jo is sopposedly the neighbor. She gives Katie tips and advice about the town and alex

3. Alex likes how Katie pays so much attention to His kids and finds her interesting. I don't think I have fell in love that quickly. Maybe just really infatuated with someone that fast. I think it would hard to really know someone that fast.

4. I don't think you can put the past totally behind you. There will always be that memory of it.

5. Alex has kept his wife's memory of keeping her room and letters she has written to the kids and keeping her memory alive.

6. Katie hates herself for staying with Kevin and allowed him to get away with the things he did to her for so long. She realizes it wasn't her fault.

7. He may believe the ten commandments as being something everyone else should follow but him.

8. It may have been irresponsible for Alex, but he fell in love with Katie before he knew everything about her past. If you truly love someone, you stick with them, thick or thin

9. I think he wrote it in Kevin's perspective to let us know what goes on in the mind of crazy mentally I'll people

10. Not really abuse is out there in many forms wasn't the first observation.

12! That Jo is really a ghost, Alex's ex wife. I guess it could be believe able, her mind speaking to her.

1. He sees her playing with her finger, as if she's twisting a ring that isn't there.
2. Jo befriended Katie. Jo pried a little to get Katie to admit to Jo and to herself that she had feelings for Alex.
3. I think it was how Kristen immediately took to Katie that first made Alex fall in love with her. Alex gave Katie space and made her feel safe. I'm sure I've fallen in love that quickly when I was younger... it's possible... not recommended, but possible.
4. I agree with him to a point. Your past contributes to the person you are today, negatively or positively. It's ingrained in you.
5. I may have forgotten something specific, but I think he's dealt with his grief just by being the best father he can be to the kids. He stayed in Southport, took over Carly's father's business, and kept things simple and I think positive for the kids.
6. I think she hates herself for allowing herself to be a prisoner of that marriage for so long. While in Southport, she was able to develope relationships with people and learned to trust people and be herself.
7. There are a lot of people like this in the world, unfortunately. I'm guessing that this was learned behavior, maybe his father was a bible quoting alcoholic, too.
8. Eh... maybe... but it's not like she's a drug addict or a terrible person, she was just involved with someone who was seriously disturbed and dangerous, whom she was running away from. He fell in love with the person she is. Most people have been involved in one way or another with undesirable people. And everyone deserves a chance to be happy.
9. To give us insight on what he was actually thinking, showing that Kevin actually did love Erin, in his mind, and had good intentions. But Kevin was not well and dealing with his own demons. It sort of allows you to see a part of Kevin that Erin could love.
10. no... As Lora said, this was not my first observation of domestic abuse... although I've never read about it this way, from Kevin's perspective. I thought that was a nice touch.
11. Katie was married to Kevin. She loved him, at least at one time. Kevin was a major part of her life. She didn't want him to die, she just needed to get away from him. i believe when he said that, she didn't really say anything. She just reflected on how she felt about Kevin.
12. Believable? I don't know. It's nice to think that things like that happen. I think it would give people comfort knowing that our lost loved ones know and approve, even love the people we develope relationships with.
13. A little bit. The way Carly approached her death and the possibility of being "replaced" was inspiring. Because she loved Alex so much and wanted him to be happy, she was so brave and understanding, even ecouraging. That, I imagine, helped Alex heal after her passing.

9. I really do not think Alex was irresponsible because Katie was not the one who was dangerest and just like Jo said in the book everyone has a past and Alex and Katie did everthing they could to keep the kinds safe and every should be happy.