• Reading Group Guide

THE DIVE FROM CLAUSEN'S PIER opens with an immediate tragedy to
draw readers in to the story. Mike, showing off for his somewhat
disgruntled fiancée Carrie, dives into some water and
seriously injures himself. He is comatose for a period of time and,
when he awakens, it is discovered that he is paralyzed. Though
first impressions may suggest that the novel will focus on Mike and
his recovery, in reality the central focus is on Carrie and her
arrival to self-discovery.

This tragedy begins Carrie's journey, literally and figuratively
speaking. Carrie is feeling pressured by expectations; the
expectations are those of Mike, his family, his friends and, most
importantly, Carrie herself. Carrie feels she is expected to be
there for Mike during his recovery, whether she wants to be or not.
Mike and Carrie were having problems in their relationship before
the accident. However, Carrie now feels obligated to stay with Mike
throughout his recovery, given the circumstances. She almost begins
to lose herself and her identity to Mike and the pressures of his
recovery. Carrie ends up spending most of her time at the hospital
instead of at her job. She feels guilty about doing anything other
than sitting by Mike's bedside and even thinks she should give up
her own life because of Mike's injury. She is identified at the
hospital as Mike's fiancée, not as her own person.

Eventually the pressure becomes too much for Carrie, and she takes
off to New York City to stay with a friend from school. This allows
her time away from her obligations caused by Mike's injury. While
there, she runs into Kilroy, a man who she met briefly at a
co-worker's house. Kilroy intrigues Carrie and she finds herself
drawn to him, almost in spite of herself. Carrie and Kilroy begin a
love affair, though it seems to follow Kilroy's terms and
conditions. Carrie also begins taking fashion design classes while
in the city. This opens up a new part of Carrie that has not yet
been tapped into, helping her to regain her own identity.

Gradually, Carrie begins to head home. Readers will find themselves
swept up in Carrie's displacement when she finally returns. Her
best friend is very angry with her and isn't speaking to her. Her
relationship with Mike is unclear. His family and friends seem to
almost resent the fact that she is back. Slowly, Carrie begins to
find some sort of peace within herself. She starts making decisions
that are right for her. She repairs her relationship with her best
friend and reaches some sort of understanding with Mike.

Carrie is a character who readers will become involved with on an
emotional level. Readers will respond to her feelings and admire
the strength that she finds at the end of the book. This novel has
many interesting elements to it: a love story (or two, if you count
Carrie and Kilroy), an interesting setting (New York City), and a
plot that has many twists and turns to keep readers engaged.
Despite its tragic beginning, this novel ends on a positive
note.