Barefoot cover

Barefoot

by Elin Hilderbrand

It's summer on Nantucket, and as the season begins, threewomen arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a localboy, home from college. Burdened with small children,unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues,the women--two sisters and one friend--make their way tothe sisters' tiny cottage, inherited from an aunt. They're alltrying to escape from something: Melanie, after seven failedin-vitro attempts, discovered her husband's infidelity andthen her own pregnancy; Brenda embarked on a passionateaffair with an older student that got her fired from herprestigious job as a professor in New York; and her sisterVickie, mother to two small boys, has been diagnosed withcancer. Soon Josh is part of the chaotic household, actingas babysitter, confidant, and, eventually, somethingmore, while the women confront their pasts and map outtheir futures.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?