Message in a Bottle, Week 3

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Message in A Bottle.

How was the reading for you this week? Were you able to stop reading after chapter 8, or did you want to keep going? I had a hard time stopping!

This section starts with Garrett and Theresa actually meeting each other. I was surprised by how quickly they made a connection. Garrett seemed to be open to speaking with her right from the get-to. I thought he would be more reserved, and I definitely didn't expect them to go sailing together right away. I felt like Theresa made a lot of deceitful choices at the beginning of the book. She chose not to tell Garrett about the letters and why she was trying to track him down, and she wasn't honest when she left her jacket on the boat. I know she left the jacket so that she would have a reason to see him again, but it still felt deceitful. 

In this section, we realize that Catherine died by getting hit by a car. She stepped off of a curb without looking and was run over. That was a shocking death to me. I expected her to be ill or something. Do you think having her die from such a senseless accident made it even harder for Garrett to move on? It was so sudden, so I think he had a hard time processing it. 

Were you surprised by how quickly Garrett and Theresa became serious with each other? People keep implying that Garrett hasn't moved on from Catherine, and I think that's true, but at least he's open to the idea of having another relationship. He doesn't close Theresa out, and he seems excited to see how their relationship can progress. Do you think Theresa will come visit and bring her son? Do you think the son will like being with Garrett? 

What is going to happen with their relationship? I don't know how well it will go since they live so far apart. I can't imagine that either one of them will want to give up the places they live. I'm just not sure how long their relationship can last. 

Do you have any guesses about what will happen in the last section? Garrett will definitely be upset once he realizes that Theresa has letters he wrote to Catherine. Don't you think that will be a big obstacle in their relationship? Theresa should have brought it up right away. 

Before you go, check out this article about the movie set design for Garrett's house. Isn't it beautiful? I love how everything looks worn in and comfortable. Then, check out the video below to learn more about author, Nicholas Sparks, and his writing process!

I hope you're excited to finish the book for next week!