WW Book Club Discussion - The Husband's Secret

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Where is our book crowd?? Should I do another question? Or maybe post a pic of John Paul...who I imagine to be a preppy Jon Hamm?

I'm ready for another!

Another questions or another hottie pic? I'll give you both!!

DISCUSSION QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!

We touched on this a bit earlier:

Grief is a major theme in the novel, and many of the characters have suffered as a result of their losses. How has grief affected Rachel? Rob? Tess? John-Paul? How do they each cope? In what ways have their lives have been irrevocably altered as a result of their grieving? Do you think people can fully stop grieving and move on with their lives?

Bonus visual on John Paul:

Katy That pic is on-pointl!!!

I think Rachel's grief spirals into a number of other emotions. Hatred toward Connor; Jealousy or spite toward Rob & Lauren because they got he chance to live when Janie didn't.

Oooo I like John Paul if he's Jon Hamm

I would hope that after learning the truth, and after her own actions, that Rachel can move on from her grief. She really let it eat at her since Janie's death and it affected her relationship with her Rob to the point where I feel like she didn't even know him.

Late to the conversation, but I read this book last summer. I'd rate it a 2 or 3. It is my least favorite of Liane Moriarity's books. The book was entertaining most of the time, but the characters didn't have much depth and didn't really grow. I also hated the ending and the epilouge.

Plus I could not believe that Tess went back to her husband. Ugh. I also would have opened the letter. I would have wanted to open it in front of him. I'm not sure what would have prevailed. My immediate curiosity or my drive to talk to my husband.

I would give this book a 3. I agree with what Katy said lol. Yes I 100% would have opened that letter as soon as I saw it. #sorrynotsorry. I think you can move in after grief but I think whatever caused it will change you. I don't think you have to be obsessed with it like Rachel was but I don't think you can fully go back they say you were before.

Can we talk about Rob's grief? I feel like his mom was all-consuming with her own grief and it really made Rob sort of back off and cater to her needs. Of course, we know nothing of what Rob would have been if his sister didn't die, but I do think he may have played second fiddle to his deceased sister.

I think eventually you stop grieving all or most of the time, but there is a part of a big loss that always stays with you. A little trigger can bring the grief back and you can experience some happy memories, or a bout of sadness. Like Genny said, it changes you. However, I'm not sure what went wrong with Rachel's grieving process to cause her to stay stuck and stop fully living her life for so many years.

I think Rob was entirely annulled as an individual by Janie's death. His mom doesn't seem to even register him, she just cares about her grandson. I feel like we were told too little about his grief. It may be that he has nightmares about Janie every night, maybe he's been depressed for years... we know nothing! Rachel was so absorbed by her own grief that, so many years later, she still has no clue of how Rob felt about it.

I saw that too with Rob. I think he stifled his own grief in an unsuccessful attempt to make his mother happy. But I don't think she wanted to be happy. I think the guilt and unhappiness was part of her penance for (what she thought of as) letting Janie die.

Late to the party.

I would rate it a 4, I knew what was in the letter before she opened it. Based on his reaction to her finding it I would have opened it too, especially when he brought it up after having sex for the first time in 6 months. I don't know that anyone can know their spouse 100% unless you are completely honest. I enjoyed Cecelia and her togetherness and the way her humanness came through when she was falling apart. I think Rachel was unfair to her son but as PP stated she seemed to stop living when her daughter died. She functioned but I think she lost her emotion. Also team Connor because I love me a man with a motorcycle. I did enjoy the book.

@Katrina - I totally forgot he had a motorcycle. I was thinking of those sex scenes!

Bumping for A) anyone that still wants to contribute and missed us yesterday! Let us know what you thought of the book!!! B) To let you guys know I'm creating a poll for March's book! Let me know if you have any recommendations to add!

After the photographic evidence, I'd like to retract my #teamconner for #teamjohnpaul.

Re: Grief, I think the book did a good job of showing how people grieve differently and how it can cripple people, especially Rachel. Her grief ended up stopping her from living as well.

Yes, but what about Will? I imagine him as some frumpy British guy with glasses and blonde hair. Yeah, I know they're in Australia but that's how it played out in my head.

My visual on Will