The Suite Life (44 page)

In spite of your fear, do what you have to do.

—
Chin-Ning Chu

What I know with certainty: lose all your money and your friends go with it. Well, not your real friends. That's why I always looked at this loss as a blessing. It quickly eliminated all the shit from my life and all the people who I thought were true friends but disappeared in a flash. It allowed me to see what really mattered most. Somehow the simplest of things started to look better, like the leaves on the trees I never noticed before . . . but do now.

This is why God is so good. As long as I've got Him and His mother I am
the
good. I have taken my rightful place in the world, and once you have your God-given power to do so, the world becomes yours, and nothing—and I mean nothing—is impossible. It is so important not to let the money define you. Remember this statement and you know who you are out there. Own it!

I want to thank the people who believe in me and in my stories and who respect my faith. My honest, humble, and super-smart agent, Susan Ginsburg: thanks for coming into my life in
the nick of time. I share great gratitude and much laughter with my editor, Trish Boczkowski: thanks for understanding who I am and allowing my words never to fall short. And, wise for her years, Alexandra Lewis, for never doubting a word and making it all flow gracefully. My loyal and fabulous publishers, Louise Burke and Jen Bergstrom, still the hottest blondes in the book business. Once again, the lovely Felice Javitz, who makes legal pleasurable. Of course, the cast and crew of Simon & Schuster, and the team at Gallery Books, the best always. Thank you for a second time around. I think you're stuck with me; I need an office, window view, please. A special thanks to Judy Kern, for making sense of everything, and to my huge supporter and friend Betsy Berg. By far you are one of the best in this business and you have a great sofa.

I have always loved unexpected gifts. When they come in the form of people who help make your life better it is truly a beautiful thing. For my best friends who still vibrate alongside of me, and you know who you all are, I don't know what I would do without any of you. For Anthony, a real Wall Street guy; thanks, my love, for being a sport when it came to this book. You are still one of the best traders on the street and one of the best men I know.
Don't let them bother!
Samantha, my only bloodline: I love you beyond words. You are the best daughter a mother could have. A gift I keep thanking God for. Here is another book for you to see how life works. And of course my three besties, Mary, Jesus, and Moses. How would I have ever survived without all of you? You three are still my original Jews; candles to you forever.

The great city of Brooklyn: may you continue to shine and let your bridge always be the crossover to greatness for millions. I was one of them and I thank you so.

Grateful as ever, tddup.

GALLERY READERS GROUP GUIDE

S
UZANNE
C
ORSO

When Samantha Bonti meets the man of her dreams in Alec DeMarco, a successful Wall Street broker, she believes she has finally left the insecurities of her hardscrabble past behind. But now she faces a different kind of challenge: carving a place for herself in the lavish, high-stakes world of Manhattan's elite without losing her own identity.

1. While dating Alec, does Samantha turn a blind eye to warning signs about his true nature, or was she unaware of his dark side until after they married? Does Alec genuinely care for Samantha, or is she simply another acquisition to him?

2. At numerous points in the story Samantha is shocked at Alec's behavior, especially when he punches Hercules and later when he slaps her glasses off her face. Why does she continue to stay with him? Why is she so bothered by her failure to defend Hercules? What larger implications are there in her silence?

3. In what ways does Alec remind Samantha of Tony Kroon, her former boyfriend? Are the two men more alike than they are different? Why does she compare Wall Street to the mob?

4. What role does religion play in Samantha's life? When Alec asks her how she survived her relationship with Tony, she
responds,
“My faith sustains me.”
Cite examples of how she draws on her faith during her marriage to Alec.

5. Samantha's grandmother provided her with encouragement and a loving foundation, while her mother was a drug addict and an alcoholic. How do her past relationships with each woman continue to affect her and influence her life, in both positive and negative ways? In particular, how do Samantha's fears about her mother affect her own parenting of Isabella?

6. Of all Alec's family members, why is it Giovanni to whom Samantha feels the closest? Why does she sense she no longer belongs in Alec's family—or his Wall Street crowd—once Giovanni is gone?

7. At one point Samantha wonders,
Do I even have any negotiating power anyway?
Why does she feel so powerless in her marriage to Alec? How much of it has to do with her ceding all financial control to him? Does money equal power in a relationship?

8. Compare Samantha's two different worlds—the wealthy Wall Street circle and the theater industry. Why does she credit the latter, including her friendships with Doris, Marvin, and Gregory, with preserving her sanity?

9. How does Samantha stay grounded in Alec's over-the-top world? As he inducts her into his lavish lifestyle, she vows,
“No matter what happened, I fully intended to remain true to myself.”
Does she manage to do this?

10. When Alec's career begins to unravel, why is Samantha better able to handle the reversal of fortune than he is? Do you agree with her theory that society was at least partly responsible for Alec's failures—as a husband, father, and businessman—by
“causing him to believe that it was wealth that defined him?”

11. Why is Samantha so determined to see that
The Blessed Bridge
be published? What does the book represent to her? How is it a touchstone in her life, especially in darker times?

12. What draws Samantha to Spiro Stavros? What does he offer her that Alec does not? Would Spiro be a good match for her? Why or why not?

13. Samantha finally admits that she no longer loves or even likes Alec. Why, then, does she choose to stay with him? What do you suppose the future holds for her, romantically and otherwise?

14. The recent “Occupy Wall Street” movement brought the country's top one percent into the media spotlight. After reading
The Suite Life,
what is your opinion of the world of high finance? Did the book dispel or confirm any preconceived ideas you had about the Wall Street elite? How so?

1. Along with
The Suite Life,
read and discuss
Brooklyn Story
, the first book featuring Samantha Bonti.

2. Samantha finds fulfillment in writing a novel and producing plays. Do you have a long-held creative dream you'd like to accomplish? Share it with the group, and see what advice they have to offer. In addition, combine your discussion of
The Suite Life
with a visit either to the theater or to a bookstore to attend an author event.

3. Indulge your sweet tooth like Samantha did during her first visit with Alec's family. Enjoy strawberries dipped in prosecco and then rolled in powdered or brown sugar.

Visit
www.suzannecorso.com
to learn more about the author and her books.