People We Meet on Vacation

How does the narrative of Poppy’s life crisis intersect with the love story with Alex? Why do you think it was important for Henry to show the heroine’s personal development in addition to the resolution of issues in her romantic life?

In your opinion and with close reference to the text, why do you think a narrative of a slow, drawn-out love story between friends is so appealing in this age of instant gratification and snap judgements? What collective anxieties and longings does this story touch upon?

How does the millennial motif of delayed adulthood play into the novel? To what extent are Alex and Poppy’s issues ones that belong to their generation as a whole, rather than individualized ones?

What is the significance of vacations and escapes in Henry’s novel? How are these central to Poppy’s identity and her personal crisis?

How does the novel present the concept of home? Why is finding what home means to her central to Poppy and Alex’s character development?

What role does image and appearance play in the novel? How does the unreliability of images feed into Henry’s story of a love that grows over time?

What role does nature play in bringing Alex and Poppy together, and how does Henry show that resisting being together is a fight against nature? Refer to both the sexual chemistry and outside environmental factors in your answer.

How do Poppy and Alex’s relationships with other people express their limitations both as individuals and as romantic partners? In your opinion and with close reference to the text, state why you think it was important for Henry to show that Poppy and Alex’s issues do not magically resolve when they come together.