16. When Charlie challenges Arch’s decision to run a negative campaign, Arch replies, “I can’t do any good for people if I don’t win.” Do you think this is a valid rationale for moral compromise in politics? At what point do Arch’s negative or dishonest tactics cease to be acceptable? How do you feel about the idea of a “necessary evil”?

17. The prologue and epilogue suggest that the story itself is a form of confession to a priest. Discuss the ways in which the influence of organized religion, Christianity in particular, saturates the novel’s subtext. Is religious faith ultimately a negative or positive force in the lives of the characters?

Also by Ed Tarkington

Also by Ed Tarkington

Only Love Can Break Your Heart

About the Author

Ed Tarkington’s debut novel Only Love Can Break Your Heart was an ABA Indies Introduce selection, an Indie Next pick, a Book of the Month Club Main Selection, and a Southern Independent Booksellers Association bestseller. A regular contributor to Chapter16.org, his articles, essays, and stories have appeared in a variety of publications, including the Nashville Scene, Memphis Commercial Appeal, Knoxville News-Sentinel, and Lit Hub. He lives in Nashville.

Praise for The Fortunate Ones

Praise for The Fortunate Ones

“A gorgeous, deep-probing treatise on the myriad manifestations of love, envy, privilege, and longing . . . A fathoms-deep exploration of love, loyalty, and the ties that bind, written master fully from all angles. It’s a laser-sharp look at the underbelly of power and privilege’s repercussions as told through the power of story.” —New York Journal of Books

“There’s a sharpness to Ed Tarkington’s view of the world, an exacting truthfulness of how things work, but he marries it to such an open-hearted and resonant humanity in his writing that it’s hard not to place him easily in the company of Pat Conroy and Alice McDermott. In The Fortunate Ones, Tarkington examines privilege and friendship with that same incredible perspective, and he helps us see the difficulties of trying to hold on to yourself even as you want so badly to be transformed. An amazing, thought-provoking novel by one of our most generous writers.” —Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here

“Tarkington’s prose glows like the sun hitting the chlorine-scented pool chairs lining the lush backyards . . . [H]is portrayals of quirky teachers, black tie galas and mysterious benefactors are biting and real. The Fortunate Ones is filled with good characters behaving badly, and vice versa . . . Tarkington succeeds, reminding the reader that the South is never perfect and privilege will always have a price.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“The Fortunate Ones has echoes of Gatsby . . . Tarkington [is] a talented and compassionate writer . . . [and] aspects of The Fortunate Ones echo a slew of classic novels, including As I Lay Dying, A Separate Peace, The Moviegoer and Big Fish . . . Tarkington’s insight into the meaning of home rings true.” —The Washington Post