Reading Guide for The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker

Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Kevin and Helen's engagement is certainly 'out of the box'. How would you like to be proposed to? Have you proposed/been proposed to in a unique way? Do you prefer grand gestures or do you prefer a traditional and straightforward proposal?
2. Amy and Ryan strike up a close bond very quickly after Amy's brush with death. Do you believe it's due to the circumstance of their meeting? How much? Do you believe two strangers can form a strong connection so fast?
3. After Ryan's father's stroke, Ryan decides to keep all business news away from his father despite desperately needing help to keep it afloat. Do you believe Ryan's justification to keep his father in the dark was the right decision? What would you have done?
4. Kevin and Amy's decision to move to the country is very sudden, but moving suddenly can also be a bit spontaneous and filled with adventure. Have you ever dreamed of packing everything up and moving someplace entirely new? Where would you go?
5. Aside from the experience with Ryan, Amy also spends time processing her mother's death and reaches for her mother's pendant often. How does her mother's pendant play as a role in the story? How has Amy assigned meaning to the pendant? And how does it help with her grieving process?
6. Seabrook's lighthouse is haunted, but also quite famous in the town for its haunting. Have you ever lived anywhere with a famous haunted setting? Is there a place you simply refuse to enter on account of what might be lurking inside?
7. There's always a certain actor or personality we envision while reading a book. Christopher Parker includes his dream casting for the book if it made it to the big screen, but if you had a choice what actors & actresses could you see being perfect for some of these characters?
8. After Amy's experience with Ryan, she's able to soothe Little Dipper (his horse) very quickly from her anxiety. Without the experience, she wouldn't have been able to do that. Do you have a skill you learned from a loved one? Do you believe that we each carry something of those that we love, or are we entirely separate and disconnected from each other?
9. One of the major themes of the book is purgatory and the afterlife; the ability to suspend yourself between the two worlds before crossing over. There were two significant characters who experienced purgatory throughout the story. Who were these characters and how did Amy react to both?
10. Another major theme of the book is grief and loss and the process of moving on. For Amy and Kevin, they're both going through the loss of Amy's mother in very different ways. How does the role of mental health and recovery from a loss play into the story? How do Kevin and Amy differ in their ways of coping with loss?
11. Ryan is persistent in trying to revive his family's ranch, but struggles with keeping it open. However, for the love of his family, he continues on. Have you ever tried to keep something going after a loss? If you're comfortable, please share.
12. The town of Seabrook is idyllic in its quaintness, but intriguing with its lighthouse and backstory. Can you think of any other fictional town that feels similarly to Seabrook?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Beacon Press. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.