The Burgess Boys, by Elizabeth Strout

Updated November 2016

Characters
Burgess Family	Shirley Falls	New York
Jim – corporate attorney Bob – legal-aid attorney Susan – Bob’s twin, optometrist Zachary Olson – Susan’s son Barbara – mother, deceased Helen – Jim’s wife Pam – Bob’s 1st wife, former parasitological research assistant Ted – husband Twin sons Margaret Estaver – Bob’s 2nd wife – Unitarian Minister	Mrs. Drinkwater – Susan’s tenant Gerry O’Hara – police chief Charlie Tibbetts – local lawyer Diane Dodge – DA’s office – Civil Rights Rick Huddleston	Dorothy and Alan – couple Jim and Helen vacationed with,  Jim’s boss Adriana Martic – Bob’s neighbor, affair with Jim and sexual harassment charge
	Somalis
	Abdikarim Ahmed – abandoned by younger wife and children, championed for Zachary Omed – translator at hospital Haweeya - wife

 For discussion:

NOTE:  All page numbers refer to the paperback edition of the book.

1. Did you like the introduction of the mother and daughter talking about the Burgess family?  Did the help or hinder your understanding of the book?  Why did the author decide to start the story that way?

2. Discuss the Burgess family dynamics:

*Bob (4 years old) always thinking he caused accident that killed their father

*Jim never telling Bob truth about their father’s accidental death (page 225)

*Their mother taking her anger out on Susan

*Susan and Jim always calling Bob stupid and other insults

3. Discuss Jim’s behavior in hotel room at end of vacation where Helen overhead him yelling at Bob the way his neighbor in Shirley Falls yelled.  How did Helen react to this scene?

4. On page 272 Bob realized he was no longer welcome at Helen and Jim's house.  Why was this?

5. On the following page, 273, when Bob ran into Jim on the street before Bob knew what was happening, Jim said, "Bob, I have to be really straight here.  You have always made me crazy.  I am tired of you, Bob.  I am so fucking tired of you.  Of your Bobness.  I an so - Bob, I just want you gone,  Jesus, please go."  Was this fair?  What did he mean by "his Bobness?"

6. On page 287, when Jim's affair was discovered and he was talking with Helen, he said, "I was supposed to take care of everyone.  Growing up.  That was my job."  Do you think that was explicitly stated or did Jim just take on that role?  Did he ever really take care of the family?

7. On page 83, what did Pam mean when she was reading about Shirley Falls and the parasitological and psychological concerns of the refugees and thought, "I am living the wrong life."?  Was anyone else in the book learning the wrong life?

8. To Abdikarim, the policemen’s laugh when they first saw the pig’s head was significant.  Why?  Why do you think they laughed?

9. What were the positive results that came about because of Zach’s actions?  Would they have happened otherwise?

10. What insights did you gain about the immigrant experience from this book?  How would you feel in a strange place where no one understood your language or your customs? 

11. Discuss the contrast between the American value in looking someone in the eye when speaking contrasted to the Somalis’ belief that to look someone in the eye is rude and disrespectful?  How can two such diverse cultures co-exist?

12. What was your reaction when the newspaper published a picture of Zach smiling as he first left the police station?

13. Do you think Zach should have been prosecuted of what he did?  Why do you think he did it?

14. What do you think happened to Jim at the end of the novel?

15. Who was the happiest person in the book?

16. Which character did you feel the most sympathy for?  The least sympathy? 

*****

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