How does the setting of Oriental influence Dawson and Amanda’s romance when they are young? How does it influence them when they are older? Might their romance have turned out differently if they were in a more cosmopolitan location?

Does The Best of Me make a statement about the positive or negative qualities of marriage? Using evidence from the text, describe the different kinds of marriage depicted in the story and how they resonate with the novel’s larger themes.

There are frequent references to natural settings in the story. What is the importance of nature in the novel? Consider aspects such as setting, theme, atmosphere, and literary genre.