In the quaint yet politically charged town of Edgartown, North Carolina, two worlds are about to collide. Meet Annabelle Morningstar, an impassioned, quirky high school activist raised by her news anchor and surgeon mothers, both champions of progressive ideals. Across town, there’s Gabe Delgado, the quintessential all-American boy, molded by his conservative, Cuban senator father. Edgartown is a town literally divided — the Liberal East and the Conservative North coexisting as neighbors but rarely as friends. But what happens when the two sides meet in the least likely of places: a local bookstore?
When employees at Annabelle’s favorite literary haven decide to unionize, she finds her path unexpectedly crossing with Gabe’s. And then they’re tossed together weekly as they get special training help for their beloved cross-country competitions. With their worlds thrown into disarray, the two high schoolers must navigate their complex feelings for each other while wrestling with their polarized upbringings. Can love bloom in the crossfire of political discord?
Fiction
Running Mates
September 1, 2023
Discussion Questions
Courtesy of Emily Locker
- How is the setting of Edgartown a microcosm for our larger society? Is it a realistic setting that you could see existing in America today?
- Anna and Gabe are both very close to and identified with their strong-willed and successful parents. What enabled the protagonists to start separating their own views from their families’?
- Anna struggles with admitting to her friends that she doesn’t agree with them about the Bookcourt unionization controversy. Why do you think this was so hard for her?
- What Jewish values do you see in Anna’s family structure?
- Why was it so hard for Gabe to stand up to Scott’s anti-semitism, despite Gabe’s affection for Anna?
- In what ways did characters other than Anna and Gabe come to appreciate nuances and see things as less black-and-white?
- In what ways are Anna’s parents actually similar to Gabe’s, despite their obvious differences?
- How do sports help bridge social and political divides for Anna, Del, Zoe and Gabe?
- What impact did social media have on the political views of the Liberal Liaisons and the Northsiders? Did social media make it easier or harder to share information? To change minds?
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