QUESTIONS
- Kessler begins the novel with an event everyone fears - a plane crash. Does he present this event in a realistic way? Why does he introduce sympathetic characters who disappear so horribly at the beginning of the book?
- Why is the first chapter told in the first person by one of the passengers on the plane?
- Is the way the story is narrated, from multiple points of view, effective?
- There are references to several tales from mythology in the novel. What are they? How do they relate to the main story?
- In an interview the author said that the migration theme "turned out to be a perfect metaphor…for a whole host of things." What could the bird migration stand for?
- What other symbols are there?
- How would you answer Anna's question on page 65: "What was it about violent mass death that brought everyone out of the woodwork?" Kevin also remarks on the voyeurs: "Why did they need to come?...Why did they need to travel so far just to get within arm's reach of death?" (page 178)
- The accident occurs in a small community. How do community members interact with the relatives of the lost?
- What kind of community do the family members form among themselves?
- Which characters remain isolated (by choice, because of language)? How does their isolation eventually break down?
- What examples are there showing different aspects of nature (e.g., dangerous, calming, etc.)?
- How does Kessler explore the power of objects in the scene where the family members go to the hangar to look through the passengers' belongings?
- How do reassurance and healing take place?
- How does the characters' grief change over time?
Questions compiled by Suzanne Fisher (fishers@uhls.lib.ny.us)
October 10, 2007
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