The Ocean Between Us (36 page)

Thanks to my friends “in fitness and in health” at Island Fitness and Gym at the Pavilion. As always, I’m grateful to my first readers: Joyce, Rose Marie, Lois, Susan, Anjali, Kate and Sheila. Thanks to P.J. and Alice for insightful comments. I’m grateful to MIRA Books, and, as always, to the irrepressible Meg Ruley and her gifted associates at the Jane Rotrosen Agency. Island County Sheriff Mike Hawley provided answers about local details.

I’ve taken dramatic liberties with my fictional carrier, squadrons and military base, but through it all my goal has been an honest depiction of this unique way of life. To bring authenticity to this story, I relied on the generosity of Captain Joe Bradley, HM3 Owen Keifer and Public Affairs Officer Nancy McMullen. I’m also deeply indebted to the personnel and families of the Whidbey Naval Air Station, especially Geri Krotow and Captain Steve Krotow. I’ve written many books, and doing research is always a part of the process, but dramatizing the background for this novel presented unique challenges. Thank you for opening your very special world to me. Thank you for the sacrifices you make and the duties you undertake to keep us all safe. We are humbled by your bravery at home and abroad. I wish you peace and joy, every day.

1. Have you ever parted on bad terms with a loved one? Did you feel regrets about it or was it justified? Should Grace and Steve have tried to put their differences aside when he shipped out?
   
2. How much input should a parent get when it comes to advising kids what to do after high school? Did Brian and Emma make good choices? What were other choices they might have explored? Does Steve’s job make it easier or harder for the kids to plan their futures?
   
3. How did you feel about Steve’s decision to hide the past from his present family? When is it all right to keep something in the past a secret from your loved ones?
   
4. What’s missing from Lauren Stanton’s life? How do you think she and Josh will fare in the future? Is happiness possible for this couple?
   
5. How does the life of a Navy wife differ from the life of a civilian woman? Does it seem exciting to you, or would it be a nightmare? Would you like or dislike moving every three years? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?
   
6. What did you think about Emma’s ordeal? Was her decision to keep silent understandable? Did you agree or disagree with her parents’ reaction when they found out the truth?
   
7. Steve’s decision in the end was a bombshell. How do you think this will play out for the family? Have you ever made
   a life-changing decision without being sure of the outcome? How did it work out for you?
   
8. This quote is featured on the author’s Web site: “One advantage of marriage, it seems to me, is that when you fall out of love with him, or he falls out of love with you, it keeps you together until you maybe fall in again.” (Judith Viorst, “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
   Redbook,
   Feb. ’75). What’s your opinion of that? How does it apply to the characters in
   The Ocean Between Us?
   Is this a factor in your own life?