Reading Group Guide
Questions and Topics for Discussion
1. Barefoot shifts in perspective among four primary characters: Brenda, Vicki, Melanie, and Josh. Which character made the strongest first impression on you? Did you find that your favorite character shifted as the novel progressed?
2. The island of Nantucket plays a distinct and significant role in Elin Hilderbrand’s novels. In Barefoot, how does Brenda, Vicki, and Melanie’s summer escape to the island allow them to more fully realize themselves?
3. Discuss the character of Josh’s ex-girlfriend, Didi. Ultimately, in what ways does she affect Josh’s life and his outlook?
4. Initially Brenda resents Melanie’s presence in their small Sconset cottage, in part due to Vicki’s motivation to include her. As Brenda observes, “But it was also the case that Brenda’s company alone had never been enough for Vicki” (page 4). How does Melanie’s inclusion affect the group dynamic? How does it affect Brenda’s relationship with her sister?
5. Josh encounters the advice “Be careful” several times in the course of the novel. To what relationships do you think this warning most aptly applies in Barefoot? To what relationships does caution have no bearing?
6. Given that John Walsh is one year older than Brenda, do you feel that Champion University’s response to their relationship is justified? Do you think the university’s decision is in any way beneficial to Brenda in the long run?
7. Discuss the role of fatherhood in Barefoot. Which father -- Tom Flynn, Peter Patchen, or Ted Stowe—did you most admire when you finished the novel? What does Josh learn about fatherhood by the summer’s end?
8. Discuss Josh’s employment as a babysitter and his role in Blaine and Porter’s life. Why do you think Josh is so adept at taking care of Vicki’s boys?
9. Throughout the novel Vicki keeps a mental list entitled “Things That No Longer Matter.” By the end, what have Brenda, Vicki, and Melanie found matters most to each of them?
10. What do you think the future holds for Brenda, Vicki, and Melanie? How will the birth of Amber affect Melanie and Peter’s relationship? How will Vicki cope with her recovery? Can Brenda undertake a new career? Finally, how influential will this summer on Nantucket prove to be in each of their lives?
