Author Ally Condie wrote The Unwedding while in the midst of a divorce from her husband of nearly 20 years. How does the grief Ellery feels about her divorce impact her character development?

How does the motif of Big Sur and the Monterrey Peninsula reflect Ellery’s struggles and grief throughout the novel? In what ways does Condie’s choice of setting contribute to the novel’s thematic engagement with The Trauma of Survivor’s Guilt?

Although he does not feature in the action of the novel, Ellery’s ex-husband Luke plays a key role in her experience of the weekend. What devices does Condie use to characterize Luke even in his absence?