The Summer Between Us Book Club Questions
by Jennifer Probst
These questions assume everyone has finished the book and contain spoilers, including the ending.
This novel gives book clubs plenty to talk about because it blends surfing, grief, family, and community without offering easy answers. The characters wrestle with fear, trust, ambition, and belonging, so readers can compare how they would respond in similar situations.
Use these questions to spark conversation, not to quiz each other. Pick a few that fit your group's mood, or work through them in order. Let personal reactions and disagreements shape the discussion, and don't worry about covering every question in one meeting.
Surfing, Fear, and Healing
- 1.Rowan ignores her instinct to wait, takes a heavy first wave, injures her knee, and later believes her career is over. How does that prologue moment shape her refusal to surf or teach Kelsey for much of the novel?
- 2.Rowan's third surf rule is no being crappy to yourself, and she tells Kelsey that surfing begins with mindset. How does this philosophy apply to Kelsey's growth and to Rowan's own grief over her father and her injury?
- 3.Lea confronts Rowan about avoiding friends and surfing, revealing she accepted sponsorship from Luana Boards after clearing it with Tino. What does this confrontation reveal about the cost of Rowan's isolation?
- 4.Rowan freezes when she takes her board to the shoreline after imagining a future with Everett and Kelsey as a makeshift family. Why does she back onto dry sand, and what does that moment show about her fear of loss?
Family, Connection, and the Ending
- 5.Kelsey first comes into the surf shop to refill her Stanley cup and is mocked by Brie and Chelsea. How does Rowan's intervention with Brie's brother set up her protective role in Kelsey's life?
- 6.Everett tracks Kelsey's phone to Hale Nalu Surf Shop and confronts Rowan about Kelsey being there without a parent's knowledge. Did you agree with how Rowan told him he shouldn't shame Kelsey with guilt and should let her stay for dinner?
- 7.At Rigo, Kelsey links Rowan's and Everett's hands as they leave, after Rowan and Everett exchange personal stories about Kelsey's mother and Rowan's father. How does this dinner change their relationship?
- 8.Kelsey reveals she is being bullied online at her prep school and says Rowan actually listens while Everett is always on his phone. How does this confrontation force Everett to confront his parenting and work-family imbalance?
- 9.In the epilogue, Rowan paddles out, rides a wave, and feels her past, present, chosen family, and Everett line up as the beach cheers. Were you satisfied with how the novel balanced Rowan's surfing comeback, her relationship with Everett, and her bond with Kelsey?
Mentors, Values, and Choosing Yourself
- 10.Tino tells Rowan it's been a year and she must decide whether to live for today or stay stuck in the past. How does Tino function as a mentor and truth-teller for both Rowan and Everett?
- 11.Rowan refuses Everett's payment for the lesson, saying teaching Kelsey is a favor and that she is not for sale. What does this reveal about her values and her dynamic with Everett?
- 12.Everett asks Rowan to move to New York with him and Kelsey, but Rowan says she cannot leave Hawaii and is choosing herself. Did you agree with Rowan's decision, or did you think Everett could have compromised differently?
Work, Community, and Belonging
- 13.Everett's work on the Purity Waikiki hotel and Matthew's push for streamlined luxury collide with Everett's insistence on authenticity and community. How does this conflict mirror the novel's themes about home, belonging, and local identity?
- 14.Tino tells Everett to take a board into the ocean and ask why he would move to Hawaii, letting his body answer instead of his mind. What does Everett's answer of Peace mean in contrast to the Senior VP promotion he turns down?
- 15.Wolfe reveals Matthew's proposal would cut community partnerships, reduce the HOki Foundation donation, replace local contractors, and cancel cultural programming, leading Wolfe to replace Matthew. How does this resolution affirm or complicate the novel's view of corporate responsibility?