The Same Bright Stars

Ethan Joella

This reading group guide for The Same Bright Stars includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Introduction

Jack Schmidt spends every waking moment either working at Schmidt’s—the Rehoboth Beach restaurant that has been in his family for three generations—or thinking about work. Though he vowed never to be like his father, who died in charge of the place, Jack finds himself at midlife and in the same position. Running Schmidt’s has cost Jack his health, his fiancée, and his freedom, and though it’s given him something invaluable in return—a sense of belonging among his chosen family and staff—he’s aching for a break.

When the restaurant group DelDine offers to buy Schmidt’s for a hefty sum and secrets from his past start creeping back, Jack is forced to grapple with a nagging question: Do we need to let go of the past to realize our best futures?

Topics & Questions for Discussion

Think of some of the relationships between major characters—Jack and Kitty, Jack and Genevieve, Genevieve and Ziggy, Jack and his father—and discuss how grief either brings these characters together or pushes them apart.

On page 36, Jack recalls the relationship between Kitty’s mother and father, saying, “They needed each other but weren’t in love with each other.” Is needing each other or is being in love more important in a marriage? Are there other relationships in the book that could be described this way?

On page 46, we see Jack’s house for the first time, including the empty studio above his garage. What might the empty studio symbolize?

Many times throughout the novel, Jack laments that he’s often disappointed by the people he loves. Do you think this is true, or is this just Jack’s perception?

Consider the character of Ziggy. Are we to judge him by the person he once was—an innocent child who lost a parent too early—or by the person he becomes and his behavior in the present? Does Ziggy have a chance to be forgiven?

Did you believe that Genevieve was stealing from Jack? Why do you think he was so quick to suspect that she was?

Focusing on work is a coping mechanism for many of the characters—for Genevieve, for Nicole, for Jack especially. Is this devotion to work a healthy coping strategy? Is there a relationship between the characters experiencing the most profound grief and those who work the hardest?

The town of Rehoboth Beach is undergoing a rapid transformation throughout the novel, mostly at the hands of DelDine. Is DelDine a purely evil force, or are they offering some good to the community?

Why is Jack so angry at Alexis in the present day? Does he have a right to feel this way? How might this scenario have played out differently?

Consider Jack and Deacon’s friendship. How do they support each other? What would Jack’s life be like without Deacon?

Were you surprised by Nicole’s actions in the final scenes? Why do you think she told Jack what she did?

Why do you think Patrick is so resistant to the idea of meeting Jack? Do you think they might meet in the future?

Enhance Your Book Club

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, is a delightful vacation destination! Plan a trip to the famous beach and boardwalk and be sure to visit Browseabout Books.

Some of the breaks between chapters are sections from the fictional Rehoboth Beach guidebook. Write a guidebook page for your hometown or favorite city.

Read Ethan Joella’s other books—A Little Hope and A Quiet Life—and compare them. Are there some common themes between his works?