Cottage by the Sea (66 page)

10. "'The trouble with storing up resentment and wishin' ill on other folks is that it's like drinkin' poison,' a familiar voice echoed in her memory. 'You think it's gonna kill the person who hurt you. Usually it ends up killin'
you
.'" How does Blythe's grandmother's adage resonate in this story, both in the eighteenth-century and the modern-day love stories? Who benefits from acceptance and moving forward, and who suffers due to ongoing resentment?

11. Valerie suggests that the current generations of Bartons and Teagues have a connection to their predecessors known as genetic memory, and that in some ways, they may be inspired by their ancestors' actions. Is this the case for Blythe? Lucas? In your opinion, do we act of our own free will, or do other forces, be it fate, a higher power, or genetic memory, influence our decisions?

12. Would Blythe's story have unfolded differently had she not discovered the story of Blythe Barton Trevelyan and been able to experience it so clearly? And if so, why?

13.
A Cottage by the Sea
is ultimately a story about love—from failed affairs to unrequited desire to fulfilling love. How do these relationships, both centuries-old and current, intertwine and influence each other? Whose relationship did you identify with most? What did you take away from these varied depictions of love and marriage?