Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

Characters

Sarah Summers Andrew O’Rourke – husband Charlie – son Lawrence – lover Clarissa – partner and friend

Little Bee – Udo (means peace) Nkiruka – older sister

At detention center – released with Little Bee: Yvette Sari Girl Girl with no name

For discussion:

1.       1. Can you imagine what Sarah’s world looked like through Little Bee’s eyes?  What do you think would be surprising or difficult to understand from your own life?

2.       2. Do you blame Little Bee for Andrew’s death?  Were you surprised that she was there when he died?

3.       3. Do you blame Sarah for Andrew’s death?

4.       4. Discuss Andrew’s book project.  Why do you think he did not tell Sarah?   She faulted him for not caring or doing anything.  Do you think it would have made a difference if she had known about his research?

5.       5. On page 209 Sarah talks about losing your childhood innocence and realizing that “some of the world’s badness is inside you, that maybe you’re a part of it.”    Do you agree?

6.       6. On page 133 Little Bee muses about Nkiruka and states that she “…loved music and now I saw that she was right because life is extremely short and you cannot dance to current affairs.”  What do you think about this statement?

7.       7. Discuss the statement on page 220 about surviving and living.  Little Bee thinks, “To survive, you have to look good or talk good.  But to end your story well – here is the truth – you have to talk yourself out of it.”

8.       8. How could Lawrence go to London with Sarah, Charlie and Little Bee without fear of being caught?

9.  9. What do you think of Lawrence?  Was he a positive or negative character?

1110.   Discuss Sarah.

1111. When Lawrence gave Little Bee the phone when Charlie was missing, do you think he intended for her to get caught when the police arrived?  Why didn’t he call himself – he had the phone and he knew the number.

1212.  Did you like the end of the story?  Was it plausible?

Discussion Guide - Testimony, by Anita Shreve

Characters
Silas Quinney	Parents - Anna and Owen Noelle - girlfriend Gary Quinney - sheriff, Silas' uncle
Rob Leicht	Parents - Ellen and Arthur
James (J.Dot)	Parents - Michelle and Matthew
Sienna	Roommate - Laura
Mike Bordwin	Headmaster Wife - Meg
Irwin	Held camera, never identified
Jacqueline	Researcher from University of Vermont
Others	Daryl - sells alcohol to students Geoff - was Dean of Students, headmaster after Mike Basketball coach - fired as a result of incident Rasheed - junior basketball player, not involved, counseled by his father not to say anything in defense of coach or entire team Colm - reporter, received Pulitzer for story about incident and Avery

For discussion:

1.         Mike thought the story would be interesting to the press because it was at a private school and because people enjoy seeing the "upper class" involved in a scandal.  Do you agree?  Would it still be as intriguing if it happened at a public school?

2.         Discuss the part played by alcohol in the story.  Daryl felt no remorse for selling the alcohol to the students.  He stated that if he didn't, someone else would.

3.         Colm received a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the story.    He states on page 234 of the paperback:    

            "I could go on and on about the ethics of accepting a prize for a sordid tale about alcohol abuse,       sexual assault, and privilege, but you take a look at any story that's won a prize in the last ten years, and you'll see that a lot of them are built on greed or lust or sex or murder.  You tell yourself you're trying to go for a fair and responsible take - unlike the tabloids - but the truth is, we're all tabloids."

Do you agree?  Why or why not?

4.         Do you agree with the way Mike handled the incident (trying to cover it up, had boys sign confession without parents or representation)?  What could he have done differently?

 

5.         Discuss the incident from each person's point of view:

            a.         Silas

            b.         J.Dot

            c.         Rob    

            d.         Sienna

            e.         Colm

6.         Discuss Irwin.  Were you surprised that he was never identified?  What would have been the purpose of him coming forward?  How does he fit into the guilt?

7.         Discuss Mike's relationship with the Quinney's, starting with his accident and then Silas's enrollment in Avery. 

8.         On page 279 of the paperback Mike counts the results of the incident, starting with his affair with Anna.  Where do other people have a responsibility to make good choices or to control their reaction to events taking place around them?

9.         Mike thought that Meg did not know about his affair with Anna?  Do you think she knew?  Would it serve any purpose to inform her?

10.       Mike himself takes complete blame for the entire incident.  Do you agree?

11.       How much blame would you give to the participants?  Sienna, for example.  Does it make a difference that she consented, even though she was underage?

12.       Should one incident (positive or negative) define a person's life? 

13.       Did you like the writing style - having the story sometimes told by narrator and other times with a character speaking or writing to the researcher?

            a.         Did you have trouble following the sequence of events for Silas starting on page                            199?