What did you think of the final scene of the book? Can you think of a moment you wanted to bottle up and keep forever? What do you think is next for Julia and Fred?

What did you think of the final scene of the book? Can you think of a moment you wanted to bottle up and keep forever? What do you think is next for Julia and Fred?

The final scene, Julia wants to keep in her heart forever. I feel that their relationship could not last forever. Julie was a career woman and Fred wanted a solid relationship. I did read the author's note and realized these two were real people and did not spend their lives together. I hope both were truly happy.

Julia & Fred went their separate ways. It made sense to me. They had antithetical agendas. Julia needed to be her own person, independent, to follow her path. I respect that.
Of course, I’ve had moment of joy that I wish I could save in a bottle or my fingers or a box. It....it is impossible to hold a moonbeam in our hands.

The final scene seemed contrived, a little too convenient. Could they really both have been assigned to the same place in wartime? But perhaps I just think that because I also read the author's note and know that they didn't get together in the end.

Julia wants to keep the memory of Fred in her heart forever, because he supported her role and helped her professionally plus they gave each other emotional support but each of them felt they had to move on with their lives, at the least professionally, but they would always be part of each other's lives.

I thought it was a little sad that they went their separate ways. I can understand their reasoning and they will hold a special place in each other's lives. I guess I would rather have love than a lonely career. I think it’s sad that they couldn’t have both. Fortunately, now you usually can have both. I have been fortunate to have a career as a physician and a husband and 2 kids.

I thought it was a bit convenient that Fred was stationed in Paris. I was not, however, surprised to learn they did not end up together in real life. Julia wanted more than she could have with him. Her career meant more to her and staying with him meant giving that up to be a housewife. I couldn't see her making that choice.

In reading the final scene I had hoped that Julia and Fred stayed together - although I highly doubted that they would ever marry. And as the Author notes reflect - Julia was never married and Fred went on to marry another. After the war during reunions in St Louis Fred and Julia never attended a reunion at the same time and they took their romance and separation to their deaths, No one knows what happened between them.