The Landing - Reading Group Guide

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Discussion Questions

1. Which character, Danny or Meghan, experiences more growth over the course of The Landing?
   
   
2. How does the author use scenes from the past to provide context for the Danny and Meghan's present circumstances?
   
   
3. Why do you think free-spirited Meghan wound up in a stagnant lifestyle over time? Did she fear something deep down? Did she feel beaten down by life? What insight can the reader find in the flashback chapters?
   
   
4. Why do you think the reserved Danny finds comfort in performing for an audience?
   
   
5. By the time the present-day story opens in Chapters 1 and 2, Danny and Meghan have, in effect, traded places: Danny made a sudden, free-spirited move to Sunset Beach, while Meghan confined herself to a comfortable relationship. Is this a coincidence? Or did each character, on a subconscious level, adopt characteristics of the other in an attempt to search for the other?
   
   
6. In Chapter 4, the author provides a background on Danny's post-college lifestyle in Ohio. He contrasts the cold Cleveland weather with the warm weather of Sunset Beach. How is each a metaphor for Danny's life stage at the respective location? Or how does each weather condition conflict with Danny's internal condition?
   
   
7. Jay McGrady's personality differs from those around him. What purpose does this character serve in The Landing?
   
   
8. In Chapter 17, when referring to Danny's relocation to Sunset Beach, Meghan's mother says, "I don't think he drove to the beach. I think he ran." What did she mean by this?
   
   
9. In Chapter 20, Meghan undergoes an overwhelming emotional response to Danny's new song, "Breathing Yesterday." Have you ever heard a song on the radio that impacted you or arrived at a pivotal moment in your life?
   
   
10. In Chapter 21, Danny decides to abandon the prospect of Meghan's love-and an era in his life. Have you ever walked away from a dream? Do you believe someone can walk away from a deeply ingrained dream, or will it come back to haunt him or her?
    
    
11. After reading The Landing, reconsider its Prologue and Epilogue. How does the Prologue foreshadow events to come? How is the Epilogue a parallel to the novel's present-day ending?