Beartown, by Fredrik Backman

Characters
Team members and families	Others
Kevin Erdahl Mother Father Amat Fatima – mother Benjamin Ovich “Benji” Father deceased Mother Andri – sister, owns kennel Katia – sister, runs bar Gaby – sister, two daughters William Lyt Maggan – mother Mario – dad Bobo Hog – father, mechanic Ann-Katrin – mother, nurse Filip Mother – elite cross-country skier	Peter Andersson – General Manager Kira- wife, lawyer Maya – daughter Leo – son Isak – deceased son Ana – Maya’s friend Sune – coach of A Team David – coach of junior team Tails – former player, one of team supporters Ramona – owner Bearskin Zacharias – Amat’s friend Robbie Holts – played with Peter, did not succeed Jeannette – teacher, former hockey player and martial arts professional The Pack – young former players

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from paperback edition.

1. How did you feel about Bobo?  Did your thoughts about him change as you read the novel?  Why was he always telling jokes?  On page 134 the author wrote that Bobo was “…terrified of corners, of being forgotten, left unacknowledged.”   How did this fear manifest itself in the story?   What surprised you about Bobo?
2. What positive or negative affect did Bobo’s jokes have on the team? Also, on page 225 the author wrote, “Jokes are powerful like that, they can be both inclusive and exclusive.”  Do you agree?
3. Discuss the instance when Kevin was left behind by his father in Hed when he was five minutes late compared to when the entire team waited much longer for Kevin and Benji (Chapter 7).  What did Kevin learn compared to what his father wanted to teach him?
4. In coaching, David and Sune had different philosophies about moving talented players up out of their age group – Sune wanted players to develop with their peers and David’s main priority was winning.  At one point, Sune wondered, “…what point are principles if you don’t win” (page 54).  Could the two philosophies co-exist?
5. Different philosophies of parenting were in the novel: Kevin’s parents gave money but no time, Amat’s mother gave time but had no money, Maya’s mother had panic attacks and felt that she was “a bad mother” (page 63).  How did these styles affect the children?
6. Kevin’s parents did not attend the semi-final game.   His father thinks that they have raised Kevin to be a strong person but his mother sees him as “the loneliest boy on earth” (page 117).  How did this affect Kevin?
7. One statement the author wrote was, “…if you tell a child it can do absolutely everything, or that it can’t do anything at all, you will in all likelihood be proven right” (page 79, beginning of chapter 11).   How did this idea play out in the story?  Do you think this is a correct statement?
8. The author describes loyalty as being both positive and negative: positive because people help others out of loyalty and negative because they do terrible things because of loyalty (page370, beginning of chapter 45).  How was loyalty to the team and friends both positive and negative in the novel?
9. Since Maya waited a week to go to police, do you think she should have waited until after the game to finally tell her story?   What difference would that have made in the outcome of the game and story?
10. Many characters felt guilt or shame in the novel:
1. Anna – didn’t look for Maya at the party
2. Kira – didn’t check on Maya at home
3. Amat – didn’t help Maya when he discovered them in Kevin’s room
4. Benji – laughed at gay jokes in locker room
5. David – Benji did not tell him he was gay
6. Kevin’s mother – did not pay attention to Kevin

Do you think they should have felt the way they did?  How will this affect their lives?

11. Were you surprised who the four players were who stayed with the Beartown team; Amat, Zacharias, Bobo and Benji?  Of the four, which ones turned professional, who is the dad and who is dead?  (See pages 395 and 399 about David’s watch. Is this a clue?)
12. How well do you think the book depicted the culture of hockey?  Do you think the hockey culture is different from other sports?  How important was hockey to the novel?  Could it have been a different sport?
13. How well do you think the book dealt with the rape and the aftermath for the entire town?
14. Did you read anything in the novel that made you think about something differently?  Did you agree with all the comments the author made?
15. How did you like the writing style?  The story jumped around among characters and the author often left unanswered questions.  Do you like this style or do you prefer a straight story?  Could this story have been told any other way?

*****
First Semester Success: 2nd edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available as an eBook and hardcopy from amazon.com and a hardcopy from wordassociation.com.   Click on the upper right link.