Book Club Discussion Questions for Crossing the River by Carol Smith

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Beyond the Book |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

Crossing the River by Carol Smith

Crossing the River

Seven Stories That Saved My Life, A Memoir

by Carol Smith
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Readers' Rating (20):
  • First Published:
  • May 4, 2021, 272 pages
  • Paperback:
  • May 2022, 272 pages
  • Rate this book

About this Book

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

In a book club? Subscribe to our Book Club Newsletter and get our best book club books of 2025!



For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Grief Memoirs and our BookBrowse Review of Crossing the River.


Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

  1. What story reported on by the author had the most impact for you and why?
  2. Which profile, if any, did you relate to most and why?
  3. Could you have covered the stories the author did? How did this book make you feel?
  4. How would you describe the author's personal journey throughout the book?
  5. "Crossing the river" is a metaphor that illustrates the experience of navigating grief; how would you describe the other side of that "river"?
  6. Many people feel a guilt over surviving when a loved one dies. How can we deal with that feeling? Why is it easier for some than others?
  7. What do you think friends or family who are supporting a loved one through a loss can learn from this book?
  8. When has someone else's story helped you come to terms with something in your own life? Why do you think storytelling helps us in this way?


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

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Beyond the Book:
  Grief Memoirs

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
by Clare Leslie Hall
A love triangle reveals deadly secrets in this thriller for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
    by Liza Tully

    A great detective's young assistant yearns for glory, but first they have learn to get along in this delightful feel good mystery.

  • Book Jacket

    Angelica
    by Molly Beer

    A women-centric view of revolution through the life of Angelica Schuyler Church, Alexander Hamilton's influential sister-in-law.

  • Book Jacket

    The Original
    by Nell Stevens

    In a grand English country house in 1899, an aspiring art forger must unravel whether the man claiming to be her long-lost cousin is an impostor.

  • Book Jacket

    The Whyte Python World Tour
    by Travis Kennedy

    Rikki Thunder, drummer for '80s metal band Whyte Python, is on the verge of fame, love—and a spy mission he didn’t expect.

Who Said...

The less we know, the longer our explanations.

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

E H L the B

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.