Promises and Pomegranates

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Did you enjoy reading about Kal and Elena’s relationship? Why or why not?

2. Have you read other books where the issue of consent played a major role? How does Promises and Pomegranates compare?

3. The book examines the overlap between pleasure and pain. What do you think of this focus?

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

1. Are there any parts of the text that evoked a strong emotional response? Which part(s)? Why do you think they had such an effect on you?

2. Has it been your experience that personal desire is stronger than one’s sense of duty or obedience to another? If so, how? If not, what makes duty feel stronger than desire?

3. Where is the boundary between obsession and love? Do you believe they can overlap or are they intrinsically distinct, even at odds with each other?

4. Have you ever been forced into some kind of decision or action in which you found a way to reclaim your agency? Can a person reclaim a sense of power when they’ve been rendered powerless by another?

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

1. In her family and within the mafia, as represented by the text, Elena—and all women—are expected to endure abuse and a curtailing of their personal freedoms. The Riccis can be read as a symbol of patriarchal institutions in the 21st-century United States. What do they have in common with corporate power and political dynasties?

2. How does the text comment on marriage or what is possible within a marriage? Some scholars argue that the relationship between Hades and Persephone showed ancient Greeks how marital equality can look. Do Elena and Kal provide similar evidence for 21st-century readers?

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

1. Analyze the effects of having two narrators. How does the use of dual perspectives shape your understanding of love, obsession, and coercion when each character conceals truths from the other?

2. How relatable are Kal and Elena? How about Carmen and Rafe? What makes each couple relatable or not? What do these contrasts suggest about generational patterns of desire, betrayal, and power within the Ricci family?

3. Compare and contrast the two settings: Boston and Aplana Island. What might each represent? How does the shift between a public, family-dominated city and a private island reinforce the novel’s treatment of freedom and captivity?

4. How valuable do you find the relationship (or lack thereof) between Kal and Violet? In what ways does Violet’s rejection highlight the limits of Kal’s control, and how does this complicate his desire to dominate Elena?

5. Consider the role of Carmen in shaping both Kal and Elena’s arcs. How does her affair with Kal and rivalry with Elena complicate the boundaries between mother, lover, and rival?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Would this book make a better feature film or streaming series? Who would you cast as Kal, Elena, Rafe, Carmen, Ariana, and Jonas? Why?

2. Listen to the songs on the playlist Miller includes prior to the Prologue. Why do you think Miller chose these songs? Is there any one or two you like best? How did they enhance the reading experience, and which scenes stood out the most after listening to the playlist?