“You know what’s best? If you just brush her hair. That calms her down.” Shelby looks at Mrs. Boyd. She’s afraid to touch Helene. Mrs. Boyd urges her on. “It’s fine, Shelby, really.”
Shelby goes closer. She can smell the faint oily odor of shit from the bag attached to Helene and the scent of lavender powder. Shelby takes the hairbrush and gently begins to brush Helene’s hair. Diana is right. The motion seems to settle her. Is this when a miracle can happen? The room is darker than before, the roses on the wallpaper are more deeply red than Shelby had remembered them.
“It’s me,” Shelby whispers. All she can hear is the rhythm of the oxygen machine. She thought she would be more upset than she is. It’s peaceful in this room. And yet, Shelby doesn’t feel as if she’s with Helene. She’s with someone, but the Helene Shelby thinks about every day isn’t in this bed. Mr. Boyd is right about that. And it’s equally true that the girl Shelby once was isn’t here either. If she were, Shelby would want to put her arms around herself and tell the Shelby she used to be that she has a good heart and that the person who will punish her most in this world is herself.
“You’re good at this,” Diana tells Shelby as she brushes Helene’s hair. “You’re a natural caregiver.”
Good enough for Shelby to be left alone with Helene while Mrs. Boyd and Mrs. Campbell go to the kitchen to fix lunch. Shelby pulls a chair closer to the bed.
“Helene,” she says.
What Shelby wants is the most difficult miracle of all. She wants to be forgiven. She takes Helene’s hand in hers, and though it is impossible for Helene’s brain to dictate what she should do, her hand responds, perhaps involuntarily, perhaps not. She holds Shelby’s hand, and then lets go. It is the exact moment Shelby has waited for. She couldn’t leave without it.
Out in the yard, Mr. Boyd is still throwing the tennis ball for the dogs, but only the General is interested. The other dogs lie in the grass, exhausted. Shelby has said her good-byes to Mrs. Boyd and now comes to stand beside him.
“It’s a good thing you tired them out,” she tells Mr. Boyd. “They have a long ride ahead of them.”
“I was right, wasn’t I? It’s not Helene.”
“Not the same Helene. No.”
James has arrived with Coop, walking from his mom’s house, and he’s packing his belongings into the 4Runner. He honks the horn and waves at Mr. Boyd.
“Jimmyboy,” Mr. Boyd calls.
James comes into the yard with his dog. “Hey, Bill,” he says warmly. The men shake hands. When Shelby gives James a look, he shrugs. “Small town.”
“I’ve known Jimmy since before he was born,” Bill Boyd says. “I’m going to help his mom out with her yard work after you leave, unless I hitch a ride to California.”
“You wouldn’t trust my driving,” Shelby says.
“No one could have done any different, Shelby. It could have happened to anyone.” He gives her a brief, heartfelt hug. “I’m glad you made it, kiddo.”
James loops an arm around her. “She was always going to make it.”
Neither of the men asks where she’s going when Shelby crosses the lawn. She stands at Helene’s window. She looks inside, and then she lets herself move forward into whatever fortune awaits.
They stop at the beach in Northport one last time. The rocks here are mossy and green. It’s low tide, and the scent of salt is bitter. James gets out and walks along the shore. He leaves his black coat on the rocks. Later, when the tide comes in, it will float out to sea, like a dark flower, but they’ll be gone by then. Shelby knows they won’t get through New Jersey until the evening, but she doesn’t mind. She thinks of the way angels arrive, when you least expect them, when the road is dark, when you’re bleeding and alone and hopeless, when you’re sleeping in a basement, convinced that no one knows you’re there.
As they drive, Shelby thinks of her mother’s last day on earth. Shelby crawled into her hospital bed, and curled up beside her so she could thank her for everything. The nights they looked at stars, the trip to Chincoteague, the way she spoke to the nurse in the locked ward, the times she searched for Shelby when she was missing. Shelby told her that if she had a hundred lifetimes she would want Sue to be her mother in every one, just as for a hundred lifetimes she would want James to be the one who stopped on the road that night. She would want him to say Stay here. She would want him to know her when no one else did.
It’s late when they reach Pennsylvania. After checking in and paying a camping fee, they park in a field. The campground is nearly empty. Neither one of them owns a tent. They’re used to New York City; they didn’t even think of what they might need to camp out. They’ve got pillows and blankets, so they set up a bed in the back of the 4Runner with three of the dogs curled up beside them and Pablo sprawled out in the backseat. The countryside is quiet, but in the middle of the night something wakes Shelby. She leaves James sleeping and takes the dogs out to a field where the tall grass is already turning yellow. They scatter, then race to gather around her when she whistles.
James notices she’s gone. He’s a light sleeper. He gets out of the car and calls for Shelby to look up at the sky. There are so many stars above them she could never count them all. She lies down in the tall grass and listens to the last of the season’s crickets. The landscape is so like the one in her dreams Shelby half expects to see Helene, but all she sees is the moon, which will follow them until they reach California. It’s the farthest Shelby’s ever been from home. She’s looking forward to seeing an ocean she’s never seen before. She trusts she’ll find her way.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to Marysue Rucci, Jonathan Karp, and Carolyn Reidy for their remarkable kindness and support.
Gratitude and love to my beloved agents Amanda Urban and Ron Bernstein.
Thank you to everyone who has made being at Simon & Schuster such a delight, especially Dana Trocker, Anne Pearce, Zachary Knoll, Susan Brown, and Jackie Seow.
Thank you to Miriam Feuerle and everyone at Lyceum Agency.
Many thanks to Madison Wolters for tech, word, and research savvy.
To Andrew and Lisa Hoffman, gratitude always.
Endless gratitude to Kate Painter for invaluable help on all fronts, literary and human.
To Pamela Painter, my deepest gratitude for her invaluable friendship and literary expertise.
Thank you to my friends and family who have offered so much love and support, especially to Mindy Givon, Jill Karp, Gail Roberts, Tal Givon, Sue Standing, Susan Laskowski, Alexandra Marshall, Allyssa McCabe, Eric Karlberg, Gregory Schmidt, Lucy Fisher, Charlie Cuneo, Megan Marshall, Jessamyn Cuneo, Janet Prenksy, Nina Rosenberg, Deb Newmyer, Dr. Marilyn Antokoletz-Hoffman, Laura Zigman, Ann Leary, Sue Miller, Jodi Picoult, Nancy Freed, Shellie Klurfeld, Karina Van Berkum, Luanne Rice, Barbara Kohler, Jacquie Duva-Pearson, Lisa Menschel, Elaine Markson, Gary Johnson, Erica DelVecchio, and Ashley and Harriet Hoffman.
To Jacob and Tessa Martin, love and gratitude for all you do.
And a huge thank-you to Ross Hoffman and Dorothy Crawford for giving me a home where I could finish this book.
Thank you to all of my old friends from Long Island.
Thank you to the editors of the literary magazines where some sections of Faithful were originally published.
Thank you, Leonard Cohen.
And thank you to the many bookstores that have given so much to me both as a reader and a writer, with special gratitude to the bookstores in Faithful: Book Revue in Huntington, New York, and Strand Book Store in New York City.
To my own Shelby, xo always.
Simon & Schuster Reading Group Guide
Faithful
by Alice Hoffman
This reading group guide for Faithful includes an introduction, discussion questions, ideas for enhancing your book club, and a Q&A with author Alice Hoffman. The suggested questions are intended to he
lp your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
In this profoundly moving novel, bestselling author Alice Hoffman introduces a tale of redemption, survivor’s guilt, and the power of love, family, and fate.
After surviving a traumatic car accident that takes the life of her best friend Helene, Shelby Richmond finds herself wayward, lost, and alone. In the years following Helene’s death, Shelby takes up relationships with less than savory men, turns to drugs as a way to escape, and loses all self-love. But through the angels around her—their faith, hope, and support—Shelby finally discovers her calling and sets forth on a path toward a better life.
Faithful is a novel about the burden of guilt, the power of humanity, and resilience—with a character who will resonate with anyone who has ever lost a loved one or lost their way.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. As a group, listen to Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem.” After you’ve completed the song, discuss why Alice Hoffman opened Faithful with the following lyrics: “Ring the bells that still can ring / Forget your perfect offering / There is a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in.” How do you think this connects to the novel? To Shelby?
2. Love manifests in a few strong ways: the love between a mother and daughter (Shelby and Sue, Maravelle and Jasmine); the love between partners (Ben and Shelby; Sue and Dan); friendship (Shelby and Maravelle). Which love brings the characters the most faith or hope? Is there a sort of love in the novel that you find destructive to the characters?
3. Discuss the title, Faithful. In which ways do the characters show their faith? How does this faith differentiate from religious faith? At what point do you think Shelby finally begins to have faith and hope again? Is there another title you and your group members would have selected for the novel?
4. Over the course of the novel, Shelby rescues three dogs, a cat, and steals a poodle for her mother. Discuss the different caretakers that appear in the novel. What compels Shelby to save these animals? What compels Ben to care for Shelby? Shelby for Maravelle?
5. Discuss Shelby’s relationship with Ben. In what ways is this relationship a healthy next step for Shelby? Do you think he has a positive or negative affect on her life? Why or why not?
6. While browsing books in the Strand Book Store, a young boy says to Shelby, “That’s why the best heroes used to be villains and vice versa.” Consider this quote in relation to Shelby’s survivor’s guilt and redemption by the end of the novel. Does she forgive herself for Helene’s death? Why or why not?
7. In the first chapter, Shelby says, “I believe in tragedy . . . not miracles”. Does her opinion change by the novel’s end? What miracles does she experience?
8. The theme of trust is prevalent in Faithful. Discuss the characters who struggle most with trust. Consider the level of trust Maravelle puts in Shelby to watch her kids, Shelby’s father’s infidelity, Shelby’s lack of self-trust, and others who appear in the novel. Where does the lack of trust or ability to trust stem from for the various characters in the novel?
9. On page 201, James says to Shelby, “What they say about saving a life is true . . . You’re responsible for that person forever.” Discuss what James means here and the different ways Shelby’s, or another character’s, life is saved in Faithful. Do you agree with James? Why or why not?
10. To further the question above, discuss Shelby’s visit with Helene toward the novel’s end. What “miracle” do you think she experiences during the visit? What kept her away for so long?
11. As a group, compare the various sayings on all the postcards James left for Shelby throughout the years, as well as when they appear in Shelby’s life. What would your reaction be to these notes? Do you think James knew where Shelby was, both physically and mentally, at the time he was writing them?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Consider volunteering as a group at a local animal shelter or ASPCA. After spending time with the animals and helping around the shelter, ask the staff about the animals’ stories. Discuss as a group whether you would feel compelled to rescue animals off the street the way Shelby did.
2. Consider reading one of Alice Hoffman’s historical novels in contrast to this novel or her memoir, Survival Lessons. What do these works have in common? Can you trace any similar themes in their plots or lessons the characters learn by the end of the novels?
3. Connect with Alice Hoffman on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or her website. Create a hashtag for your book club and tag her in the photos you upload of your group’s reactions to the work.
4. Spend an afternoon making fortune cookies and the enclosed fortunes as a group. Discuss some of your favorite fortunes you’ve ever found and come up with some fortunes you think Shelby may have responded to positively.
5. Consider reading Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man as your next book club pick. Discuss how the novel speaks to Shelby, Ben, and James in Faithful.
Five Questions for Alice Hoffman
1. You start the novel with a lyric from Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem”: “Ring the bells that still can ring / Forget your perfect offering / There is a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in.” Why did you decide to start the novel with these lyrics?
A: I am a huge fan of Leonard Cohen's music and poetry, and I think Shelby would be also. The lyric speaks to the idea that what is broken in us is also what makes us human and what defines us. So often we are ashamed of what we see as our flaws, our past histories, our sorrows, but these are what give us compassion and wisdom. Nothing is whole, nothing is perfect, and we can’t expect that of ourselves or of anyone else.
2. Many of your novels are deeply rooted in history. Faithful, however, is set in contemporary New York City. What research, if any, did you need to do to feel satisfied with Faithful? Do you find the process of writing contemporary fiction different from writing historical fiction?
A: Writing a historical novel is a huge undertaking in terms of research, but all novels require emotional investigation. Faithful happened to take ten years to write—I wrote between writing other novels—and so I really got to know Shelby in a deep way. I lived with her for a long time.
3. When you’ve finished writing a book, do you ever wish you could revisit a character you’ve focused on? Do you think your characters reappear in any novels? Do you think you’ll consider writing a sequel to Faithful or do you think Shelby’s story is complete for readers?
A: I always feel that when a novel ends, the future of the characters belongs to the reader. Because the reader and writer share the novel, we all experience it in our imaginations. I have written a sequel to a novel called Green Angel, and enjoyed it. But for me, Shelby’s story ends on the last page of the novel. The rest is up to the reader.
4. You were born in New York City and grew up on Long Island. Did you spend time in New York City as a twentysomething like Shelby did? Is her hometown similar to yours?
A: I grew up in Valley Stream, where Maravelle buys her house, and spent much of my twenties in Chelsea in New York City, where Shelby lives with Ben and later by herself. Many of the places Shelby loves are places I love—Strand Book Store, the Half King, Union Square, the Hudson River. I wanted her to be in real places and to give her a map that I knew well.
5. Can you tell us what you’re working on now and what readers can look for next?
A: I’m at work on a prequel to my novel Practical Magic. The Rules of Magic is set in New York City in the sixties and tells the story of the aunts, Frances and Jet, when they were young. It’s great to be writing about the Owens family again and to see another side of these characters that I loved.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deborah Feingold
Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including Practical Magic, the Oprah’s Book Club selection Here on Earth, The Red Garden, The Dovekeepers, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, and The Marriage of Opposites. She lives near Boston.
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ALSO BY ALICE HOFFMAN
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The Museum of Extraordinary Things
The Dovekeepers
The Red Garden
The Story Sisters
The Third Angel
Skylight Confessions
The Ice Queen
Blackbird House
The Probable Future
Blue Diary
The River King
Local Girls
Here on Earth
Practical Magic