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Natalie and Tom have been best friends forever, but Tom wants them to be much more. When Natalie's longtime boyfriend walks out on her just when she thinks he's going to propose, Tom offers her a different and wildly romantic proposition. He suggests that they spend twenty-six weekends together, indulging in twenty-six different activities from A to Z, and at the end of that time Tom's convinced they'll be madly in love. Natalie, however, is not so sure.

As Natalie's touring the alphabet with Tom, her mother's going through her own romantic crisis—while Tom's unhappily married sister-in-law, Lucy, struggles with temptation. And over the course of six amazing months, three generations of passionate dreamers are going to discover that, no matter how clever they are, love—and life—is never as easy as A, B, C . . .

2. How do the friendships in Alphabet Weekends (between Lucy and Marianne; Natalie and Rose; and Tom and his work colleagues, Rob and Serena) reveal differing levels of trust, dependence, and affection?

3. How does Natalie's relationship with her father, Nicholas, compare to her relationship with her mother, Anna, and what are the implications of her feelings as both of her parents confront significant health problems in Alphabet Weekends?

4. "I'm a romantic—what's wrong with that?" In what ways does Tom challenge Natalie's idealized vision of romance?

5. Why does Natalie agree to have dinner with her ex-boyfriend, Simon? How fair to Tom is Natalie's decision to meet up again with Simon?

6. How do to the trips to the Health Farm and to Paris alter the course of Natalie and Tom's relationship and the depth of their feelings for each another?

7. Why does Nicholas's stroke enable Anna to overcome her clinical depression?

8. Why might Patrick's impotence and feelings of inadequacy after losing his job contribute to Lucy's decision to seek out an extramarital affair with Alec?

9. Of all of the romantic relationships explored in Alphabet Weekends, which seems the strongest and why?

10. How did the plot of Alphabet Weekends enable your appreciation of the unfolding relationship between Natalie and Tom?

This book is on these lists:

Rinky's Wish List by Rinky

All lists >>

• January 2012 Indie Next List
• December 2011 Indie Next List
• November 2011 Indie Next List