The Tennis Partner

Abraham arrives in El Paso looking forward to a fresh start as a newcomer. How do you think this context influences his journey and experiences in El Paso, as compared to David’s time there? In what ways does Abraham reinvent himself?

Rituals are an important part of both David and Abraham’s lives. Why do David’s rituals fail him, even as Abraham can make progress through his rituals?

Explore the symbolism of the special tennis court that Abraham discovers for him and David to play on. What other places carry symbolic significance in the book? Pick another symbolic space and compare its significance with that of the tennis court.

There is a difference in the quality of Abraham’s loneliness and isolation versus David’s. How and why do their experiences differ? What does each man’s experience illustrate about the causes of and solutions to loneliness?

The main storyline is interspersed with medical and tennis-related anecdotes. What function do these chapters carry out? Pick two anecdotes and explain how they contribute to the themes and ideas explored in the book.

Compare and contrast David and Abraham’s experiences with romantic relationships and how this affects their respective personal journeys. What is the book’s core insight about how to deal with conflict in relationships?

Dr. Talbott and Dr. Binder constantly reiterate that David’s addiction is an illness that needs lifelong treatment. Research The Disease of Addiction and compare the medical research and other sufferers’ experiences to David’s. What does David’s story reveal about addiction? What aspects of the disease does it fail to portray or account for?

Abraham reflects on how one’s temperament greatly influences one’s choices. What are the choices that Abraham and David make in their respective lives that indicate similarities between them? How are the two men different, and which instances outline these differences?