SPECTACULAR THINGS

Beck Dorey-Stein grew up in Narberth, Pennsylvania, and taught high school English for three years before serving as a White House stenographer from 2012 to 2017. She is the author of the novel Rock the Boat and the memoir From the Corner of the Oval, which was a New York Times bestseller. She now lives in Maine.

Praise for Spectacular Things

“Kicking off July with our newest book pick! Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein follows sisters Mia and Cricket as they navigate an impossible choice that will change everything. Think sisterhood, sacrifice, and the golden age of women’s soccer all wrapped into one epic story.” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club July ’25 Pick)

Praise for the work of Beck Dorey-Stein

“Witty [and] heartfelt . . . Dorey-Stein spins a diverting yarn about friendship and family.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Lively [and] intelligent.” —People

“Whip-smart and perfectly capturing that delicate balance between your younger and adult selves.” —EOnline

“Delightful, whip-smart . . . with an expansive heart.” —Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had

1. The author notes in the acknowledgements that the poem “Dead Stars” inspired the title of the book, and three lines from the poem serve as the epigraph. After finishing the book, how do you interpret the epigraph? If you read the full poem, what connections do you notice between its themes and the story?

2. The story uses a dual timeline structure and shifts between Mia and Cricket’s perspectives. How did this timeline structure impact your feelings about the events unfolding in the present? In what ways did hearing from both characters shape your understanding of the choices they were making?

3. The writing employs frequent foreshadowing. How did this influence your reading experience? Were there moments when you paused, sensing that a detail might become important later? How did that anticipation affect your emotional response?

4. Soccer plays a central role in the novel, and acts both literally and symbolically. While Liz, Mia, and Cricket are very different, they are all drawn to the game’s combination of structure and unpredictability. How does this attract each of them to the sport in a unique way? How does it influence the way each character pursues the sport?

5. Liz seems to believe that history repeats itself across generations. What do you think about this idea? Do you agree with the belief that it only takes one brave person to break the cycle? What could that look like for this story?

6. Mia and Cricket are raised with the ideal of the self-made hero. Why do you think Liz prescribed to that ideal, and do you think her opinion ever changed? How do Mia and Cricket’s experiences, especially their post-surgery support system, challenge and reshape that idea?

7. Mia’s illness, like many events in the novel, places her in a position where she is no longer in control. As someone who has always cared for others, how does she come to accept this loss of control? How does her healing – both physically and emotionally – depend on her ability to rely on others, especially Cricket, and ask for and accept help? Why do you think asking for help can be so difficult, even as adults?

8. Each character’s adult identity is shaped by childhood trauma, parental influence, and early choices. At what point do you feel Mia and Cricket come to terms with their past, and with the risks and sacrifices they made? Even as they reach a sense of resolution by the end, do you think they carry lingering “what if” thoughts?

9. The novel carries a strong sense of grief – grief over loss, illness, sacrifice, and paths not taken. Did you relate to the feeling of grieving a decision, even when it felt like the right or necessary choice? How did the novel help you reflect on your own moments of sacrifice?

10. Spectacular Things can be read as a love letter – to sisters, to mothers, to daughters. What message about these relationships resonated most with you? What would you want to share with your own circle of sisters, mothers, or daughters? Why would you recommend this story to your community of supporters?

Q&A with Beck-Dorey Stein

What was the real-life inspiration behind the Lowe sisters? How did your relationship with your siblings inform the dynamics between Mia and Cricket? What inspired Cricket’s impossible choice?

Sandwiched between an older brother and younger sister, I am quite familiar with birth-order dynamics and the resentments that often accompany them. But I’m also well aware of the ferocious love that inevitably brings me to appreciate my siblings far more than I resent them, especially the older we get. My brother introduced me to soccer – and all sports, really – by kicking a soccer ball to (at?) me when I was three in the backyard. Motivated to make me a great athlete, Zach never went easy, which is probably why I still pride myself on being scrappy on and off the field.

The heart of Spectacular Things is the bond between sisters, and I’m lucky enough to have that crazy connection with my little sister, Caroline. Although Zach and I were more competitive with each other because of a smaller age gap, I still reserved the right to push my sister. These days, Caroline is a serious runner and would no doubt smoke Zach and me in a race if we were ever foolish enough to engage. I’m old enough to only feel immense pride in her running accomplishments, and Caroline is kind enough to compliment my (much slower) pacing.

The story of U.S. Olympian Aries Merritt and his sister, LaToya Hubbard, inspired Cricket’s impossible choice.  After setting a world record in the 110-meter hurdles, Aries took home his gold medal only to learn a year later he would need a kidney transplant. His sister stepped up and donated one of hers so Aries could return to competing. When I read the article, I was touched by the story of siblings, but also wondered, would Aries have done the same for his sister, if the roles were reversed? Would she have expected him to?

The career of a professional athlete is, at best, extremely brief, so for Aries or Cricket to end it early would be a lot to ask, especially if it wasn’t a matter of immediate life-or-death. And yet, as I researched the lives of professional soccer players, it was apparent that no one can reach that level on their own – it’s always a family affair because to become the best requires an insane amount of time, money, and commitment. There was no easy right or wrong answer, which made it a good subject to explore over the course of a novel. And so I wrote Spectacular Things to explore the tenuous dynamics that siblings—particularly sisters— must often navigate, both together and separately.

This book feels like a love letter to women’s soccer. What’s your own connection to the sport, and what made you want to center this story around it? 

I grew up playing soccer and believe my coaches and teammates had a profound impact on my character and work ethic. Some of my best friends today are from my middle school club team, and some of my mantras (“leave your heart on the field” // “the bruises hurt less tomorrow if you know you gave it your all today”) are from Rose Miller, that club team’s coach. After college, I taught 9^th grade English and coached soccer at a boarding school, and when I left there to go to Washington, D.C., I joined a team to make friends and feel more connected to the city. So I’ve always loved soccer, but the real reason I wanted to center Spectacular Things around the game is because of the 2019 FIFA World Cup. That U.S. roster, and their performance in the tournament, inspired me to such a degree I knew I wanted to spend more time in that world – and as a writer, I was lucky enough to do just that.

“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift” — this quote was a mantra throughout the book. What is your personal take on this? What do you think the Lowes women’s relationship is with this quote? 

I love this quotation from Steve Prefontaine because of its relentless relevance. The Lowe women get into trouble when they only apply it to soccer. Instead of seeing “the gift” as a specific talent, I see it as the opportunity of the present moment. So that means I try to apply Steve’s words when I’m on a run, sure, but also when I’m running errands. And to be clear, giving my “best” at Trader Joe’s is less about navigating the packed aisles in record time and much more about smiling at the new mom with a baby strapped to her chest, and thanking the bagger for Tetris-ing my groceries like a pro. It’s about expressing gratitude for your life by living it fully and with kindness – I know, I know, easier said than done, but that’s the beauty of a mantra!

Liz, Mia, and Cricket all face uphill battles in different ways. Do you see them as underdogs? What challenges do you think each of them is trying to overcome throughout the book? 

The Lowe women are underdogs in different ways, their battles distinguished by generation. Liz’s childhood is more financially comfortable and, with two parents, at least appears more stable. But Liz’s parents are too wrapped up in themselves to be supportive of their daughter, and so she finds herself desperately lonely until she discovers soccer, which then presents its own joys and disappointments.

Mia and Cricket grow up with a single mom who is hoofing it to make ends meet, but they know she has their back, and they feel her love all the time, regardless of whether she’s watching their game or out late working. Liz also gives them each other – the pricelessness of a sister – in large part because she feels like she missed out by not having one. Despite the love of their tight-knit family, Mia and Cricket are also underdogs because as they emerge as talented young women, the unspoken price tag of competitive soccer and higher education present a challenge. The book mentions “pay to play” in the context of elite soccer, but it also applies to the academic pressure we put on high school students to volunteer or take unpaid summer internships most families can’t afford. So the Lowes are all underdogs, and that ultimately serves them well because it makes them earn their stars and, as I write in the novel, everybody loves an underdog.

What was your journey into fiction like, and what advice would you give to aspiring writers? 

Ha! I’m still very much on the journey! My favorite books are all novels, and my go-to genre is contemporary fiction, so in that sense, it seems like a natural evolution. But I’m constantly struck with imposter’s syndrome and concern I’m not doing this thing right because I didn’t go to graduate school and because it takes me so many drafts to figure out what I’m trying to say – all the stuff I tell aspiring writers to ignore. At the end of the day, if you write, you’re a writer. So get writing – for 10 minutes, with a timer, if that makes it seem doable – and go from there. As I often remind Michele, the local elementary school crossing guard who has lived 5 million lives in her 75 years and would like to pen a memoir, you can’t edit what isn’t written down, so just get it down!

Your novel explores big themes like ambition, sacrifice, and motherhood. What message or feeling do you hope readers walk away with?

I hope readers walk away feeling inspired to check in with someone they love who might not live nearby. That probably sounds like a jump from the question, but it’s so easy for us to get caught up with what’s right in front of us – the people, the jobs, the problems, the laundry(!) – but the whole day changes when I get a call from a friend I haven’t been able to see recently. Since becoming a mom three years ago, I would be lying if I didn’t say that, on the majority of days, I most strongly identify as an undercooked scrambled egg. Time gets aways so easily from all of us, which is why even a five-minute check-in with a friend (or a sister!) inflates my heart while grounding my soul. So go call someone you love and tell them you love them!  Or better yet, plan a trip to go see them and go to an NWSL game together!

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This interview was originally published by Reese’s Book Club.