Lion

In a book primarily about her father, Sonya opens with her mother’s perspective. Why do you think she chose to do this? How do you think she feels about her mother’s refusal to read her book?

Do you find Sonya to be a reliable narrator of this story? In an interview, when asked if this is a novel or memoir, she said “it’s a novel in which everything actually happened.” Why do you think she chose to frame this as a novel?

What did you think of the way this book goes back & forth in time and place? Was there one period of time or place that sticks with you the most?

Her writing style doesn’t focus on plot like a conventional novel. It works more on a sentence level, one beautiful sentence after the next, to convey an impression, and she never identifies anyone by a name. Did this resonate with you, or distract you as a reader?

This book is almost amoral, in the sense that Sonya declines to pass judgment on her father or anyone else. Why do you think she chooses not to?

Did Sonya’s father truly love anyone but himself? Was he, in any sense, a good father? How did he, and her extended family, ultimately shape Sonya to become the adult she grows up to be?

Do you believe her father fell or committed suicide? Do you think anyone or anything could have reversed his tragic fate? Does or will Sonya ever come to terms with it?