Before I Let Go

How does friendship help both Yasmen and Josiah understand their emotions, their relationship, and the topics they often avoid?

How does Ryan use Otis the dog to reveal key aspects of Josiah’s character and feelings about Yasmen?

Using examples from the novel, explain how Kassim’s and Deja’s responses to the divorce mirror Yasmen’s and Josiah’s.

Consider the various models of partnership presented in the novel. How do Yasmen and Josiah differ from Merry and Ken or Soledad and Edward?

Consider the setting of the novel. How is Atlanta, and the South more broadly, fundamental to the characters’ identities and goals?

In what ways is Vashti a sympathetic character, despite her potential to obstruct Yasmen and Josiah’s reunion?

How do Yasmen and Josiah each cope with their jealousy? What effects does jealousy have on their relationship?

In what ways are Yasmen’s and Josiah’s differing approaches to grief reflective of their genders and gender roles for cisgender heterosexual couples in general?