Love and Other Words

How does grief shape Macy’s personality and character? How does her relationship with Elliot affect her grief and vice versa?

One critique of modern romance fiction is that it sets up unrealistic expectations about relationships. Do you think this story does that? In what ways are Macy and Elliot realistic or unrealistic in the way they treat one another?

Compare and contrast Macy’s family unit with the Petropoulos family. Why might she be attracted to Elliot’s family? What does she get from them?

How and what do Macy’s mother and father teach her about love and loss? How does their relationship set up her expectations about love and partnership?

How does Macy’s loss of her mother affect her ability to form romantic relationships or other connections?

Compare the way Macy reacts to the loss of her mother with the way she reacts to the loss of her father. How does Elliot help her heal? How does he hinder or complicate her ability to heal?

How do you interpret the way Macy treats Elliot after she catches him with Emma? What does her response reveal about her character?

Macy and Elliot have other partners during their relationship. How do Emma and Ravesh in the “then” timeline and Rachel and Sean in the “now” timeline affect the storyline or reveal more about the main characters?