Homeseeking

How do you think this story might be different if we were to see Suchi’s point of view from present day to her youth, and Haiwen’s from his youth to present day?

Is there anyone in your own life that you always find yourself com- ing back to, whether in friendship or otherwise, in the way that Haiwen and Suchi do?

There is a big theme throughout this novel of trying to find one’s way home after being separated from it for so long. Howard and Suchi handle this in different ways: Suchi by refusing to look back, and Howard by refusing to forget. How might you handle this situ- ation if you were put in their shoes?

What parallels can you draw between music and trauma, in rela- tion to Haiwen and Suchi?

We see a lot of Haiwen’s and Suchi’s parents, especially in those scenes that describe their earlier years. Do you agree with the les- sons they each tried to impart to their children? Why or why not?

If you could play as beautifully as Haiwen, what instrument would you choose to play?

What role does guilt play in the plot of Homeseeking? Why do you think that is?

What was your favorite scene, and why?

Throughout this novel, we see more and more of Haiwen’s ability to take himself away from his situation with a melody in his head, until he loses the ability during his time in the war. What might you play inside your own head in order to escape, and how would you feel if it suddenly went quiet?

If the author had written a scene with Suchi reuniting with her mother, what do you imagine would have happened?