Book Summary and Reviews of Meant to Be by Emily Giffin

Book Summary

He's American royalty. She comes from a troubled past. Is their love story meant to be? This "lively page-turner" (The New York Times) offers a nostalgic, hopelessly romantic escape—from the author of Something Borrowed and The Lies That Bind.

The Kingsley family is American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. In 1967, after Joseph S. Kingsley, Jr. is killed in a tragic accident, his charismatic son inherits the weight of that legacy. But Joe III is a free spirit—and a little bit reckless. Despite his best intentions, he has trouble meeting the expectations of a nation, as well as those of his exacting mother, Dottie.

Meanwhile, no one ever expected anything of Cate Cooper. She, too, grew up fatherless—and after her mother marries an abusive man, she is forced to fend for herself. After being discovered by a model scout at age sixteen, Cate decides that her looks may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, Cate's face is in magazines and on billboards. Yet she feels like a fraud, faking it in a world to which she's never truly belonged.

When Joe and Cate unexpectedly cross paths one afternoon, their connection is instant and intense. But can their relationship survive the glare of the spotlight and the so-called Kingsley curse? In a beautifully written novel that captures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells the story of two people searching for belonging and identity, as well as the answer to the question: Are certain love stories meant to be?

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Meant to Be is told from two points of view, Cate's and Joe's. How did this technique affect your reading experience and connection to the characters?
2. Among the novel's multiple themes—grief and loss, love and attraction, secrecy and connection—is there one that resonates most with you? Explain.
3. Discuss the title, "Meant to Be." How do you think it relates to the overall story? How does it apply to each of the characters?
4. In what ways does the past influence the present in Meant to Be? How do the characters try to repress or escape the pain of their histories? What does the novel tell us about the relationship between past and present? How does this affect the characters' interpersonal relationships ...