Heart Bones

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of illness or death and addiction.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What drew you to Beyah and Samson’s love story despite the significant obstacles they face? Have you read other Colleen Hoover novels like It Ends with Us or Verity, and if so, how does Heart Bones compare?

2. The narrative creates immediacy and tension throughout, making events feel as though they’re unfolding in real-time rather than being recounted from memory. How did Hoover’s choice to write in the present tense affect your reading experience? 

3. The novel begins with Beyah’s immediate trauma of finding her mother’s body and ends with her reunion with Samson four years later. How effectively does Hoover balance the romantic elements with the harsh realities of poverty and the criminal justice system?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Beyah and Samson both get opportunities to rebuild their lives after difficult starts, and their story emphasizes redemption and forgiveness. What experiences have you had with second chances, either giving them or receiving them? 

2. The vast difference between Beyah’s trailer park background and her father’s beach house lifestyle creates significant culture shock for her throughout the summer. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where economic differences made you feel out of place? 

3. Beyah struggles throughout the story to trust others and accept love after her traumatic childhood with an absent father and a mother who struggled with addiction. What factors do you think make it easier or harder for people to open themselves to intimate relationships? 

4. Brian realizes he misunderstood Beyah’s feelings about their relationship, assuming she didn’t want him around when in reality she craved his presence. How do you navigate misunderstandings in your own family relationships? 

5. Beyah chooses to wait four years for Samson rather than moving on with someone else, showing commitment and faith in their connection. What would influence your decision to wait for someone facing a long prison sentence? 

6. When Beyah discovers the truth about Samson’s past, she must decide whether to defend him to her family despite their legitimate concerns about his criminal record. Have you ever had to choose between supporting someone you care about and maintaining peace with your family?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Samson receives a six-year sentence partly because he can’t afford adequate legal representation even though his crimes were motivated by a need to survive. How does the novel illuminate the systemic injustices inherent in the American criminal justice system? 

2. Beyah’s transition from extreme poverty to her father’s middle-class lifestyle exposes various forms of financial prejudice, from assumptions about shopping preferences to judgments about personal worth. How does Hoover’s portrayal of class bias reflect the contemporary tension between poverty and privilege in America? 

3. What resources do you think communities should provide for vulnerable youth who age out of infrastructural support? Both Beyah and Samson become effectively orphaned at young ages with no institutional support systems to guide them through adolescence.

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The ocean serves multiple symbolic purposes in the novel, representing different things to Beyah, Samson, and other characters as their relationships with water evolve. What significance does Samson’s use of the name “Darya” for the ocean hold? 

2. Many characters have names like Beyah (“beautiful wise one”), Samson (biblical strength), and Sara (“princess”) that comment on their roles in the story. How do the characters’ symbolically meaningful names reflect or contrast with their actual circumstances? 

3. Missing parents affect many of the major characters in the story, from Samson’s orphaned state to Beyah’s effectively absent father throughout her childhood. How does the motif of missing parents contribute to the novel’s themes about family and belonging? 

4. Hoover incorporates a motif of a view from the top throughout the novel—from the ferry’s upper deck to Marjorie’s rooftop, creating both literal and metaphorical elevation. What do Samson’s repeated efforts to take Beyah to high places suggest about perspective and personal growth? 

5. Heart Bones is a romance novel that incorporates elements of social realism and commentary on inequality that distinguish it from lighter romantic fiction. How successfully does Hoover blend genres to address serious themes while maintaining a traditional romance structure? 

6. How does the Texas Gulf Coast setting enhance the story’s themes of transformation and new beginnings? How does the contrast between Beyah’s landlocked Kentucky background and the endless ocean create symbolic impact?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The novel ends with Beyah and Samson reunited on Marjorie’s roof but doesn’t detail their future plans or how they’ll navigate the practical challenges ahead. Write an additional chapter describing the specific steps the couple takes to build a life together after Samson’s release. 

2. Design a community center for the Bolivar Peninsula that would serve both wealthy summer residents and year-round working-class families. What programs and spaces would you include to bridge the economic divide Hoover portrays throughout the novel?

3. Write a scene from Sara’s point of view during Beyah’s first week at the beach house. How would Sara interpret her new stepsister’s withdrawn behavior, and what would motivate her persistent efforts to include Beyah in her social circle?

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