Friday, July 22, 2022

The Reading List, by Sara Nisha Adams

 

The Reading List, by Sara Nisha Adams

Characters

Aleisha – working at library

Aiden – dropped out of school to care for mother

Leilah – mother, ill

Dean – father, new life and family

 

Zac Lowe – law student, guy on train

 

Mia – Aleisha’s friend

 

Mukesh

Naina – wife, deceased

Rohini, Deepali, Vritti – daughters

Priya, Jaya and Jayesh – grandchildren

 

Nilakshi – Naina’s best friend, lost both husband and son in accident

 

Harish – Mukesh’s friend

Meena – wife

 

Nasseem – neighbor

Noor - daughter

 

Harrow Road Library

Aleisha

Dev “Thermos Flask Dev” – manager

Kyle

Benny

Chris “Crime Thriller Guy”

Lucy - volunteer

Found or given reading list

Aleisha – found list in copy of To Kill a Mockingbird returned by “Crime Thriller Guy,” shared titles with Mukesh

 

Chris – found list on library table under a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird with a note

Melanie – girlfriend, relationship ended

 

Indira Patel – found list in shoe space at the mandir

 

Lenora – found list on board at yoga studio

Helena – sister

 

Izzy – found list on street, collects lists

 

Joseph – given list by library patron, bullied

 

Gigi – found list in supermarket

 

 

 

 

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from hardback edition.

1.       As you were reading, who do you think wrote the list?

2.       When Mukesh went to the charity walk, he carried a copy of Rebecca with him. He thought about how Naina “used to carry a book with her wherever she was, in case she got stuck in a lift on her own…” (page 126).  Did you relate to this idea?

3.       Izzy collected lists and made-up stories about the people who wrote them.  Do you make lists?  If someone found one of your lists, what would it tell them about you?

 

4.       Discuss Mukesh’s friendship and relationship with Nilakshi, Naina’s best friend.   Were you surprised at his daughters’ reactions?

5.       The novel dealt with many serious issues (grief, loneliness, caring for a sick parent, suicide, bullying) in addition to the positive power of reading.  Did you find the book sad or uplifting, or both?

6.       Could anything have been done to help Aidan?  Would adding him to the book list recipients have helped?

7.       How did the books on the list help the different people who found it?

8.       At least both Mukesh and Aleisha saw or imagined the characters from the various books during their regular days.   Has this ever happened to you?

9.       Is there a book that you have read several times during your life?  Did it mean different things to you at different ages?

10.   Which books have you read from the list?  Did you think they were powerful enough to be included on the list?  Are there any others you would recommend?

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