DISCUSSION GUIDE
Icebreakers
1.
If you were the publisher of this book and had to assign it to a category,
would you choose General Fiction or Fantasy?
2. Who is the mysterious dog in Part 2?
3. Why did Suzi destroy the canoeists' cairn?
4. Why
has the author made Tyrone speechless?
5. How do you think Nora's marriage will turn out?
Going Deep
1. Yellowknife "was bracketed by a pair of mines, Con and Giant, their names reminiscent of a fable out of Aesop." (p. 15)
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The novel's fantastic element is reinforced by tall tales and references to a number of myths, legends, and fictional characters. Who are Edna, Iggi and Cavity based upon? Who is the Fisher King? Who or what is Ol' Slavey? |
2. "Next year the Eastern Arctic would be sliced off to form Nunavut. As for the remainder, no one knew for certain whether it would keep its present name or adopt a new one. Denendeh, Arctica, and Rupert's Land were being floated around, though popularity was growing for the waggish name of Bob." (p. 35)
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Many of the characters use aliases or nicknames. How does the question of identity relate to other themes in the book? |
3. The names of books and videogames are used throughout as signposts, providing backstory and foreshadowing. However, not all the titles are real. Were you able to spot those that weren't? Why incorporate fictional as well as real titles into the story?
4. "How was it no scientist had ever postulated irony as a natural law? To Danny it seemed as irrefutable as gravity." (p. 101)
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Of the many ironies in the story, which is the most significant in relation to Danny, Hugo, and Nora? |
5. Some readers have detected a bias against science in the book, others a bias against religion. Which view would you subscribe to? How does the book portray native spirituality?