The Fairfax
Library Book Discussion Group will meet Thursday, December 12th at 7:00 p.m. in the meeting room of the Fairfax
Library to discuss our December book, Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie.
Here are some
links for additional background and information:
You may not
want to visit Istanbul after reading the ending of Home Fire, but here is a website with lots of
info for a first-time visitor
The story of
Parvaiz may remind you of The
American Taliban who was from Marin County
Coming up, we
have the following books to look forward to reading:
Thurs.
Jan. 9th Women Talking
by Miriam Toews
Thurs.
Feb. 13th Disappearing
Earth by Julia Phillips
Thurs.
Mar. 12th The Soul of an
Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Thanks for
reading with us. I look forward to seeing you at the Fairfax Library.
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of
the Fairfax Library
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. The opening section begins with Isma Pasha
nearly missing her flight. Talk about her treatment at the hands of
"immigration" officials at Heathrow. How did the indignities she
suffered at their hands make you feel?
2. Isma's voice is one of compromise and accommodation: how else might you describe her?
3. Talk about Parvaiz Pasha and his quest to honor his father, Adil. What kind of man, husband, and father was Adil, and what did his faith mean to him? When Parvaiz's eyes are opened to the caliphate and its atrocities, did you wonder how he could have been so misled?
4. What do you think of Isma and Eaamon Lone's relationship? Do they have a genuine connection? Why doesn't Isma let on that she knows who Eaamon's father is?
5. What are your thoughts about Aneeka? How does she define herself in relation to her faith, and how does her attitude toward Islam differ from her sister's?
6. Talk about the vast differences between the two families, the Pashas and the Lones.
7. Consider Aneeka's relationship with Eamonn — she is clearly manipulating him, but does she have a higher purpose? As she puts it: "Why shouldn’t I admit it? What would you stop at to help the people you love most?"
8. After Isma informs the police that Parvaiz has left for Syria, Aneeka is appalled: "You betrayed us, both of us. Don't...expect me to ever agree to see your face again. We have no sister." Is Aneeka's anger justified? Would it have been bettier directed at her brother who betrayed them both? What do you think?
9. Where should Isma's loyalty lie: with her brother or her country? By informing the police of Parvaiz's intentions, did she make the right or wrong decision? Can there be a correct moral decision when faced with the impossible choice between family loyalty and duty to society?
10. What is mean by the title, "Home Fire." How does it differ from the World War I meaning, "keep the home fires burning."
11. Talk about the relevance of Home Fire in today's world. What do you see in the novel that illuminates and/or resonates with current concerns.
12. Kamila Shamsie has drawn inspiration from the ancient playwright Sophocles and his drama Antigone. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, was prohibited by law from burying her brother.
2. Isma's voice is one of compromise and accommodation: how else might you describe her?
3. Talk about Parvaiz Pasha and his quest to honor his father, Adil. What kind of man, husband, and father was Adil, and what did his faith mean to him? When Parvaiz's eyes are opened to the caliphate and its atrocities, did you wonder how he could have been so misled?
4. What do you think of Isma and Eaamon Lone's relationship? Do they have a genuine connection? Why doesn't Isma let on that she knows who Eaamon's father is?
5. What are your thoughts about Aneeka? How does she define herself in relation to her faith, and how does her attitude toward Islam differ from her sister's?
6. Talk about the vast differences between the two families, the Pashas and the Lones.
7. Consider Aneeka's relationship with Eamonn — she is clearly manipulating him, but does she have a higher purpose? As she puts it: "Why shouldn’t I admit it? What would you stop at to help the people you love most?"
8. After Isma informs the police that Parvaiz has left for Syria, Aneeka is appalled: "You betrayed us, both of us. Don't...expect me to ever agree to see your face again. We have no sister." Is Aneeka's anger justified? Would it have been bettier directed at her brother who betrayed them both? What do you think?
9. Where should Isma's loyalty lie: with her brother or her country? By informing the police of Parvaiz's intentions, did she make the right or wrong decision? Can there be a correct moral decision when faced with the impossible choice between family loyalty and duty to society?
10. What is mean by the title, "Home Fire." How does it differ from the World War I meaning, "keep the home fires burning."
11. Talk about the relevance of Home Fire in today's world. What do you see in the novel that illuminates and/or resonates with current concerns.
12. Kamila Shamsie has drawn inspiration from the ancient playwright Sophocles and his drama Antigone. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, was prohibited by law from burying her brother.
13. What differences, if any, would it have made
if the characters in the book were American?
14. Should someone like Parvaiz be allowed back
into Britain after joining ISIS?
