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Characters |
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The One of the Sea C. Jat – artist, first picture painted at age 14 Three figures: Joar, Ted, and Ali “C. Jat” stands for Christian, Joar, Ali, and Ted Kim – “KimKim”
Parents divorced Dad – alcoholic, complained to friends about Kim and
he could hear Joar Mother – abused, a lot of gossip regarding the way
she dressed, poor judgement Father – abusive to both wife and Joar, worked in
factory, injured in accident Ted Father died of cancer at age 14 Older brother – abused Ted Mother – worked nights to take care of Dad during
day Ted became a history teacher, stabbed at school
trying to protect a student Ali Dad could not keep a job, moved a lot, mother
deceased Louisa – graffiti artist, in foster system, aged out
at beginning of novel Mother left her with neighbors and never returned Fish – Louisa’s friend, died Christian – artist, temporary janitor at Kim’s school,
encouraged Kim Mother – art history professor |
NOTE: Page
numbers are from the 2025 hardback edition.
1.
Discuss
the various characters. It took the
author considerable time to tell their stories.
Did that add to your reading or not?
2.
Why
were the four such good friends? What
did they get from the friendship that they were not getting in their family
lives?
3.
When
Ted and Louisa were on the train with the ashes and painting, Ted thinks, “…the
artist was right. She’s one of us” (page
119). How do you think Louisa would have
fit in with the four friends?
4.
The
phrase “one of us” was used several times to describe the friends and Kim
referred to Louisa with that phrase.
Christian told him mother he had found one on pages 216 and 408. At the end of the book Louisa tells Ted she
found one on her travels (page 433).
What qualities makes someone “one of us?”
5.
When
Joar’s father was severely injured in a factory accident, the father’s friends
seemed suddenly to feel guilty that they knew he was abusive to his family but
never said anything. Why did they
suddenly feel guilty?
6.
Were
there any sentences that resonated with you?
For example, if you have recently lost someone in your life, what did
you think when you read “You don’t wish for happiness when you have lost the
love of your life, because you can’t even imagine ever feeling happy again”
(page 69).
7.
The
author wrote that “Adults often think that self-confidence is something a child
learns, but little kids are by their nature always invincible, its self-doubt
that needs to be taught” (page 79-80).
Do you agree?
8.
The
author wrote that Christian “changed the world” (page 189) when he told Kim
what his mother had told him: “‘All children are born with wings…It’s just that
the world is full of people trying to tear them off…Only a few children escape. But those children? They rise up to the skies’”
(page 188). How did this change Kim?
9.
Did
you like all the quotes about art and the inclusion of various artists? If you are not particularly interested in
art, did they lead you to think about it a little differently?
10.
On
page 77, Kim thought that “art isn’t chronological.” This story was not told chronologically. Did you like that?
11.
Ted
wants his ashes scattered in a library because “you don’t have to put up with
reality there” and “you can be among imaginary friends…sitting on the shelves
and calling to you” (page 306). What do
your library director would think about this idea?
12.
Did
you like how the story kept you guessing (at least for me) until the very end?
13.
Did
you know right away who Christian’s mother was?
14.
Did
you like the ending? Were you surprised
that Joar was still alive?
15.
The
author Donna Tartt is mentioned on page 306 as an author who “describes why a
person falls in love with art: ‘It’s a secret whisper from an alleyway. Psst, you.
Hey kid. Yes, you.’” She is
again mentioned in the Q and A in the back of the Barnes and Noble Book Club
edition. Why do you think she is the
only living author mentioned?
16.
Did
you like the last sentence?
17.
Would
you recommend this book to a friend? Why
or why not?
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