1. TAKE ME WITH YOU opens with Jesse and Norman meeting for the first time. The scene closes with Norman telling Jesse: “Where you go, I go. C’mon. I promise it will be an adventure.” Why do you think the author chose to begin the story there? To what extent does Norman keep this promise to Jesse?

2. For Jesse and Norman, the move to Joshua Tree was, in part, meant to invigorate their marriage. Can a change of scenery bring more excitement into a relationship? Would you say the move worked for them as intended?

3. Lally, Norman’s sister, hires a private investigator to uncover Norman’s whereabouts. Discuss how this decision and the way it unfolds speaks to her increasing desire for companionship.

4. Jesse is a college professor who teaches his students the art of comedy. And he stands by the teaching: “Comedy, tragedy. Two sides. Same coin.” Share one of your favorite comedic moments from the book and discuss how it informed your reading of the characters’ tragedies.

5. Norman and Jesse have both experienced the loss of a family member. For Norman, it’s his younger brother, and for Jesse, it’s his father. In what ways, if at all, did their early experiences with loss inform their relationship?

6. The book culminates with a dinner party scene where various relationships are questioned and redefined. Why is it in this gathering that points of tension are brought to the surface? To what extent is this what the host intended?

7. At one point in their relationship, Jesse and Norman hoped to build a family together. How do you define family? In what ways had Jesse and Norman already built a family? What did you make of Jesse and Norman’s ultimate decision on whether or not to have a child?

8. TAKE ME WITH YOU delivers a distinct cast of characters, all of whom we see seeking in their own way. From Jesse’s mom, Gail, to their neighbor, Randall Moss, to the detective, Harlan, their presence, once peripheral, starts to add a sense of “fullness” to Jesse and Norman’s story. Which supporting character had the biggest emotional impact on you, and why? In what ways have they dealt with abandonment themselves?

9. Steven Rowley posits that we are all of us alien, even to the people we think know us best. Do you agree with this sentiment? Having finished the book, does this sentiment alter your interpretation of the title TAKE ME WITH YOU?

10. In some regards, the meaning of life is exploration, whether that be emotional, spiritual or physical. If you woke up one night and stumbled outdoors and a beam of light shone down, would you go like Norman? Would you stay like Jesse? Which choice is the braver one?