You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer
One Family, One Last Summer
In my life, I have dealt with in-laws dying of cancer and although I was never there for the final moments, I did a lot of care giving. I don’t know if it makes a difference that they were older, but it brought peace knowing that they had led good long lives. But, this will take you into the mindset of being the spouse and of being the daughter to this incredibly amazing man, Tommy. Alexis is a busy working mom and not that she puts her career first, she just knows that Tommy is such an excellent father to 15 year old Cece, that she feels that one, it is ok to forward her demanding career, and two, that Tommy is such a present father, that he makes up for the two of them. Until, they are faced with Tom’s Stage 4 cancer, for which treatment isn’t an option. What’s it like to have to say goodbye to the love of your life, while your teenage daughter, who doesn’t like you, is trying to still be a teenager and fall in love herself? Set in the beautiful seaside town of Destin, Florida, you will feel like you are sitting on the front porch swing, smelling the salt air, and drinking fresh Arnold Palmer’s, with this family. When it’s done, you will contemplate your own life and how you would like to spend your remaining days, reminding you of the little things that make up life long memories.
Book Club Questions (Do not read further if you have not finished the book)
- Do you think Tommy made the right decision choosing not to get treatment?
- Where would you want to spend your last days?
- What would be on your “list” similar to what Tommy had?
- A lot of parents and teenagers have tough relationships. Do you think the way Cece and Alexis saw each other was fair? Without Tommy’s illness, do you think they would have been able to repair their relationship?
- How do you think Alexis and Tommy’s marriage will affect Cece’s future views on marriage and relationships?
- Alexis has two best friends – Jill and Becky. Her friendship with each woman fill very different purposes in her life. What are those purposes?
- CeCe has a moment when she realizes that Tommy isn’t just her dad, but that he’s also his own person. From your own experience, how do you think this affected her?
- What did you think of Tommy’s decision to see and forgive Monica? If you were Alexis, would you have been okay with having his ex over to your house?
- Do you think Alexis made the right decision taking Cece to California? Why or why not?
- Where do you think Alexis and Cece will be in five years? Ten years?
- What did you like best about the book?
- What did you like least about the book?
- If you were making a movie of this book, who would you cast?
- Which character in the book would you most like to meet?
- If you could hear this story from another character’s point of view, who would it be?
- What gaps do you wish the author would have filled in?
