We'll Always Have Summer

How does Belly’s relationship with her mother, Laurel, change throughout the text? How does Laurel’s relationship with Conrad influence her relationship with Belly and how she approaches her and Jeremiah’s engagement?

Conrad is a perspective character in this novel. How does this narrative choice shape readers’ understanding of the text? How would the story be different if it were only told from Belly’s perspective or another character’s?

A motif within the text is wedding planning as Belly prepares to marry Jeremiah. How does wedding planning bring her closer to Conrad and move her further away from her intended groom, Jeremiah? What does the process of wedding planning reveal about her relationship with Jeremiah?

What does the text imply about the idea that true love waits? What evidence is there in the text to support the belief that true love waits?

Why is the decision between Conrad and Jeremiah such a difficult one for Belly to make? What other factors influence her decision-making?

What lesson does Conrad learn about taking risks for love? What risks does he take, and how do these risks shape the events of the text?

Susannah’s letters to Belly and Conrad play an important role within the text. What is the significance of these letters, and how do they shape what happens on Jeremiah and Belly’s wedding day?

At the end of the text, Jeremiah and Belly decide not to get married. Belly says that they were not trying to escape their pasts and that they had the best of intentions. To what extent do you agree with Belly’s rationale?