Book Summary and Reviews of A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser

Book Summary

Jessica Strawser's A Million Reasons Why is "a fascinating foray into the questions we are most afraid to ask" (Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author)—the story of two women who discover a bond between them that will change both their lives forever.

When two strangers are linked by a mail-in DNA test, it's an answered prayer―that is, for one half sister. For the other, it will dismantle everything she knows to be true.

But as they step into the unfamiliar realm of sisterhood, the roles will reverse in ways no one could have foreseen.

Caroline lives a full, happy life―thriving career, three feisty children, enviable marriage, and a close-knit extended family. She couldn't have scripted it better. Except for one thing:

She's about to discover her fundamental beliefs about them all are wrong.

Sela lives a life in shades of gray, suffering from irreversible kidney failure. Her marriage crumbled in the wake of her illness. Her beloved mother, always her closest friend, unexpectedly passed away. She refuses to be defined by her grief, but still, she worries what will happen to her two-year-old son if she doesn't find a donor match in time.

She's the only one who knows Caroline is her half sister and may also be her best hope for a future. But Sela's world isn't as clear-cut as it appears―and one misstep could destroy it all.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Do you think Sela took the right approach in reaching out to her sister for a relationship? Should she have been more upfront about her circumstances to start, or perhaps declined to reach out at all? What influence did Doug and Leigh have (or fail to have) on the way she handled things?
2. How does the marriage of Sela and Doug compare with that of Caroline and Walt? Do you think, if Caroline and Walt had gone through similar struggles, they would have stayed together?
3. Explore the theme of mothers in this novel. Both Rebecca and Hannah have made grave mistakes in the past, but also sacrifices for what they felt was right. In what ways do Sela and Caroline need to decide whether a mother's love triumphs over past faults? ...