James and Liz discuss how coincidental it was that they met. Do you believe in fate or coincidence? Was there a time in your own life where things might have turned out differently, based on something small that occurred to sway your actions?

James and Liz discuss how coincidental it was that they met (“A different day and we’d have missed each other,” p. 322). Do you believe in fate or coincidence? Can you point to a time in your own life where things could easily have turned out differently, based on something small that occurred to sway your actions?

I do not believe in fate or coincidence!

The meeting betwee James and Liz was a little contrived.

Agree with BBO that the meeting between James and Liz seemed contrived.

Yes, the meeting between James and Liz was a carefully contrived plot device. Without this development the rest of the book wouldn’t exist. Small moments frequently have large results, regardless of how we interpret them.

To me, the story of Liz’s and James’s relationship was a distraction from the main plot. Their meeting seems too much of a coincidence, and too much time was spent on their “love story.”

I agree with those who questioned the plausibility of the coincidental meeting. I can certainly look back at some events in my life and see that one small difference in a choice or decision led to a series of events that might not have occurred otherwise. In retrospect, it is tempting to invest more meaning in those events than they actually have. Was it “meant to be?” It is certainly interesting to ponder.

I do believe that coincidences are possible -- and have had them happen in my life a few times. But there were way too many of them in this story so that the plot became unbelievable. Too bad, because I really liked the story premise.

Countless aspects of my life would have been completely different but for decisions I made (including about miniscule details) and, because of them, the people and situations I encountered. I once surprised myself by answering a question posed to me with "Yes," when the person asking it clearly expected me to say "No." What would have happened if I had given that different answer? I've often wondered, but will never know. So while I don't believe in coincidences, I do believe that we create our own reality. The Universe responds to our thoughts, desires, emotions, and the vibrations we emit.

Everyone makes decisions on a daily basis that can have life changing consequences. If I had been home to receive that phone call, if I had decided to change jobs , if I had chosen to go to a different school. All of these things (and more) could have resulted in significant changes in the course of a life.