Accidental Marriage Book Club: Chapters 9-11

Welcome to the Accidental Marriage Book Club! We’re reading Accidental Marriage, by Roger Thomas.

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I hope you caught last week’s Accidental Marriage Book Club post by my friend and fellow contributor Kirk Whitney. I loved hearing a man’s take on Roger Thomas’ very interesting novel. This is my second read-through of the book and I’m certainly enjoying all of the conversation that is happening around the book and its characters!

Chapter Nine opens with Scott and Megan settling into a new routine together. From learning to drive a new car to making things run more efficiently around Scott’s (now “their”) place, Megan seems to be adjusting very well to her new life. As the chapter progresses, we learn that Scott is on the receiving end of some jokes at work, but that his home life seems orderly and comfortable. Megan’s pregnancy progresses until we finally meet little Grace Marie Kyle at the conclusion of this chapter.

I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of the scene in the delivery room. Scott seems much like many of the new fathers I’ve met: anxious, uncertain, and perhaps a bit helpless. But after little Grace is born and Scott compliments Megan, her response “Likewise, Dad… I couldn’t have done it without you” is teasing, but also true!

Chapter Ten opens with Scott returning to work. While he seems to be not on the best of terms with his co-workers, one–Jake–offers some kind support. Work gets much busier for Scott, but he seems to truly enjoy coming home to Megan and especially little Grace at the end of the day. One night, Scott experiences a terrific nightmare which is described in great and foreboding detail. At work, Scott begins to notice small anomalies, but is too busy to take much notice. Scott arrives home late one night and Megan surprises him with a glass of wine. She reminds him that the day is actually their first anniversary. When Megan thanks Scott for his friendship and support, Scott’s response, “I get a great household manager and a delightful little playmate in the bargain,” is a telling remark about the state of their arrangement.

When Scott heads into work the next morning at the start of Chapter Eleven, it’s clear that trouble is on the horizon. Scott’s meeting with Brian becomes his last day at work due to a buyout of the company. He acts foolishly by tearing his severance check into pieces. When Scott goes home and informs Megan about what has happened at work, things seem even more hopeless. After a fight and some sharp words, Megan and Scott seem to be able to come together by the end of the chapter to consider what might possibly be coming next for them. And while the options don’t seem too bright, at least the two parents are looking at them together.

These chapters of the book reminded me of a few moments that Greg and I experienced as newlyweds and new parents. While we obviously never faced the strange circumstances that Scott and Megan find themselves in, we had our fair share of financial strain, parenting snafus, and impatience. I look back now and realize that it was our faith in God and the strong example of loving marriages in our lives that helped us to find our way through the stress and challenges. Certainly, for our characters, the lack of a spiritual support system is definitely not making life any easier!

To Ponder, Reflect, and Discuss:

  1. If you are a parent, what do you remember about the first moments in which you met your precious newborn child? What memories do you have of your spouse in that moment?
  2. If you are married, how did you celebrate your first anniversary? What might you do differently now to mark that occasion with your spouse?
  3. Have you or your spouse ever dealt with a financial crisis or unemployment? How did your faith sustain you during your challenges?

Feel free to comment on your own thoughts from this week’s reading, your impressions and reflections, and/or your answers to these questions.

Next week, we’ll cover Chapters 12-14. For the complete reading schedule and information about our Book Club, visit the Accidental Marriage Book Club page.

Copyright 2015 Lisa Hendey

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