- Reading Group Guide

Reading Group Guide for Just Destiny

1) In Jenny’s experience, she had to earn her parents’ love. Is love for one’s child an automatic given—an unconditional gift, or do children need to earn their parents’ love? Is there any such thing as unconditional love, or is it just a fantasy?

2) Jenny believed that a parent’s love for their child was different than that for a parent or spouse. How is it different? Is it stronger?

3) Gabe’s love taught Jenny that you don’t have to make choices with love. That a good and pure love can expand infinitely, like a forever balloon. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

4) What did Gabe and Jenny give to the other to make their marriage so strong? Was it a case of opposites attract?

5) In what ways did Jenny’s marriage and relationship with Gabe change her?

6) Just Destiny is a coming of age story. How did fighting for the right to have Gabe’s baby after he was gone facilitate Jenny’s growth?

7) Reproductive materials, such as sperm and eggs, are legal ambiguities. They are parts of the body, yet, under specific circumstances, they have the unique ability to create another human being, so should they be legislated by their own set of laws? Why?

8) How far should laws of marriage extend? Is it right that Jenny had the ultimate say over organ donation instead of George or Gabe’s children? Should it be illegal for Jenny to take Gabe’s sperm after he’d been declared brain dead? Why?

9) Do dead people have legal rights? Were Gabe’s rights violated? Why?

10) Should Jenny have tried to ease her grief by using Gabe’s sperm to conceive his child, when deep down she suspected that he really didn’t want more children?

11) Why could Jenny tell Steve about Michael yet she was afraid to tell Gabe?

12) If Gabe had lived, would he and Jenny still be together? Would they have had more children?

13) What difficulties might their child have had to face and how could Jenny have prepared him/her?

14) By not using the sperm Jenny fought for so hard, and so publicly, she opens herself up to ridicule from some people. Do you agree or disagree with her decision?

15) Soul mates are two people who are destined to be together—and only those two people –for all eternity. Soul mates share a deep, intimate connection. Do you believe in soul mates? Why or why not?