The Lion's Den(121)
He raises his glass to me. “You did it, sis.”
I smile, feeling so many different emotions I don’t yet know how to begin to untangle them. What a difference a week makes.
Eric slips his arm around me, and I settle into his shoulder, our eyes fixed on the dazzling lights of the coast below. Yachts bob on the dark sea, blazing like stars in a moonless sky.
It’s all very surreal, this fresh chapter in my life. But you know, I think I could get used to it.
Acknowledgments
My heart is bursting with gratitude for all the wonderful humans without whom this book would not be possible:
To my parents, Frank and Celia, for introducing me to the magic of books and always championing my artistic endeavors. To my husband, Alex, for supporting me in too many ways to count, and for not counting. You are my happy ending. To my early readers, Alice, Maria, Ashleigh, Anne, Gillian, and Dina, for giving me the confidence to send this book out into the world. To Kathryn Stockett, for your generosity.
To the brilliant team at Levine Greenberg Rostan—and most of all my fabulous agent, Sarah Bedingfield. Thank you for your insight, encouragement, and friendship, for believing in me and guiding me from concept to completion, and for always having my back. And thank you for giving me a safe space to fail, because the space to fail is so necessary in order to succeed.
To my superb editor, Millicent Bennett, for your acuity, your expertise, your attention to detail—because the little things matter!—and for always making this process fun. You are the lioness guiding this cub of a book into the world.
To my fantastic film agent, Michelle Kroes at CAA, for your discernment and always knowing the right thing to do.
And finally, to the outstanding team at Hachette Book Group and Grand Central Publishing, for making the dream a reality: Ben Sevier, Karen Kosztolnyik, Beth deGuzman, Brian McLendon, and Matthew Ballast on the executive team; Andy Dodds, Kamrun Nesa, and Ivy Cheng in publicity; Tiffany Sanchez and Alana Spendley in marketing; Alison Lazarus, Chris Murphy, Ali Cutrone, Rachel Hairston, and Karen Torres in sales; Albert Tang, Brian Lemus, and Elizabeth Stokes for the beautiful jacket art; Kristen Lemire, Jeff Holt, and Marie Mundaca in production; Nancy Wiese, Joelle Dieu, and Francesca Begos in subsidiary rights; editorial assistants Carmel Shaka and Meriam Metoui; and Lisa Cahn for producing the awesome audiobook.
I am forever grateful for all of you.
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About the Author
KATHERINE ST. JOHN is a native of Mississippi and graduate of the University of Southern California. Over the years she has worked as an actress, screenwriter, director, photographer, producer, yoga instructor, singer/songwriter, legal assistant, real estate agent, bartender/waitress, and travel coordinator, but finds she likes writing novels best. Katherine currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.
The
Lion’s
Den
Reading Group Guide
The epigraph of The Lion’s Den reads, “The only known predators of lions are humans.” What does this statement signify to you? Similarly, why might John’s yacht be named after the home of the animal kingdom’s apex predator?
When it becomes clear that Summer’s mother and John will also be attending the “girls’ trip,” Wendy is disappointed. How is traveling with a group of women different from traveling with a family member or significant other? What are the pros and cons of each?
Several characters comment on money’s ability to make people behave in irrational—and sometimes extreme—ways. Do you believe this to be true, even among well-intentioned people?
In the beginning of the book, Summer tells Belle that there are “different kinds of love.” Aside from the obvious differences between romantic and familial love, do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? What variants of love do you see characters exhibit in the novel? Does Summer really love John?
On Day 4, the girls are invited to have lunch with John, his polo-playing friends, and a handful of international businessmen. Frustrated, Belle wryly comments that the “womenfolk” aren’t allowed to participate in the conversation. Why do you think John and his compatriots treat the girls so dismissively in this scene? How else do the novel’s male characters underestimate their female counterparts—and at what point do they seriously regret it?
On Day 5, the girls attend an extravagant party on a nearby yacht. If you were vacationing overseas and found yourself at a party filled with the world’s rich and famous, who would you hope to meet? What would your first question to this person be?
While at the yacht party on Day 5, Belle makes friends with Michael, who says “Money doesn’t change people. It only magnifies the qualities that were already there.” What are your thoughts on this? Have you ever witnessed money change someone you know or someone in the public eye? In The Lion’s Den, what accommodations do you see characters make when they interact with the extremely wealthy?
On the evening of Day 6, Summer shows her true colors on board the yacht. Were you surprised by Summer’s sudden outburst of violence? What did you think of the other girls’ reactions? How would you react to such a display?