Spring Alumni Book Club Discussion Questions: The Bridge Is Love

The Bridge Is Love blends parallel stories, one a true memoir of events on Earth, and a second, imaginative parable of complementary happenings in Heaven. The storyteller is a young boy, Scotty, whose life is ended suddenly in a tragic highway accident. He enters into a new life as an angel-child in Heaven from where he views his family's grief and recovery process. The story spans thirteen months during which the power of love and faith allows the past and present to join together to promote healing. The bereaved are enabled to resume positive, hopeful lives.

These questions are provided by the author and intended to spark a "virtual discussion" of this Spring's book club selection.

Comments undergo a review process and will not immediately post. All comments will be posted within 48 hours.

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 1

The book is both memoir (true) and novel (imagination), two intertwined stories. What do you think motivated the author to use this dual approach in her storytelling?

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 2

Discuss your reaction to the way the author conceptualizes Heaven. Is it sufficiently mystical or ethereal? Do you think it would be appreciated by conservative Christians or people of other faiths? How would you envision it differently?

Book Club: The Bridge is Love Question 3

Who is your favorite character in Heaven; on Earth? Why?

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 4

How readily could you make the transitions and connections between the Earth story and the Heaven story?

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 5

How might the grief experience after child loss compare with other sorrows (loss of parent or grandparent, spouse, sibling, friend, or other loved one)?

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 6

The author introduces school teachers who were important in the lives of several characters: Scotty, Alex, Phillip, and Cheron. What characteristics emerge as descriptive of "good" teachers who positively impact a student's life?

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 7

From the scant references provided, what picture emerges of Bill's (father) grief work, and how did it differ from that of the mother?

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 8

Some readers have described this book as "entertaining," "enjoyable," "heartwarming." In your view, is this accurate? How have the author and the characters put a positive spin on a book about a child's death?

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 9

Extended family members and close friends provided Scotty's bereaved family with help for their healing.What were some of these contributions (Granddaddy, Auntie Alice, Satsuki, church friends, neighbors, Bill's physician friends, Rhonda and the Easts)?

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 10

What is the primary message in the post script, words spoken at the dedication of the Scotty Mayhall Memorial Playground?

Book Club: The Bridge Is Love Question 11

If you have read The Lovely Bones, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, or The Year of Magical Thinking, how would you compare and contrast them with The Bridge Is Love?