How does she handle these moments, and should she have handled any of them differently? What does Ruth mean when she says, “ I could do it all as long as I felt like my toughness was in the service of something important that I was protecting the essential heart of my story” (290)?Ĥ.
Throughout the novel, Ruth finds herself in situations where either she is disappointed by people involved in The Next Best Thing, or she knows she will be disappointing others. How does Ruth use humor to her advantage? What purpose does it serve her? What did you think about her involvement with Hellsmouth?ģ. What is the significance of swimming in The Next Best Thing? Why do you think it is such a cathartic activity for Ruth?Ģ. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.ġ. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. This reading group guide for The Next Best Thing includes discussion questions, ideas for enhancing your book club, and a Q&A with author Jennifer Weiner. Add to that her grandmother’s impending nuptials, and Ruth’s big break might just break her.Ī rollicking ride on the Hollywood roller coaster, The Next Best Thing is a heartfelt story about a young woman searching for her own happily-ever-after in the land where dreams come true.
Add in an unrequited crush on the man who has been her mentor. After years of failure and a badly broken heart, Ruth gets The Call-her show has been green-lit.īut Ruth’s happy ending is only the beginning, as she struggles with how television gets made: terrified (and terrifying) executives and actresses with their eyes on bigger prizes than Ruthie’s show. Her eccentric grandmother, who comes out of Florida retirement to care for young Ruth, nurtures her through years of surgeries, feeding her home-cooked meals, dispensing irreverent wisdom, and telling Ruth she’s beautiful, even though her scars will stay with her forever.Īfter college, Ruth pursues her dream of writing to Hollywood, heading west with her grandmother in tow, hoping to make it big in the world of TV. Blockbuster #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner returns with an irresistible story about a young woman trying to make it in Hollywood…Īt three years old, Ruth Saunders miraculously survives the car crash that takes her parents’ lives on the icy Massachusetts Turnpike.
0 kommentar(er)
