1. How would you describe and compare the relationship Rita Das has with each parent?

2. What does Ford represent in Rita’s life?

3. How is that different from what Sebastian represents?

4. What personal challenges do Rita and her brother, Adam, face after 9/11?

5. What does Rita observe about the news before and after 9/11 ? How has the news shifted?

6. What are the big themes in this book in addition to love?

7. What does Rita teach her translator, Rafiq, and what does Rita learn from Rafiq?

8. Who is your favorite character in the novel? And why?

9. What is the historical context/backdrop of the novel? What is percolating under the surface?

10. How does the unhealed trauma of Rita’s youth change her family dynamics?

11. How would describe "truth" after reading this book? How is it different from or the same as "facts"?

12. What does India represent to Rita and to the other members of her family?

13. What did you feel when Hanan went missing?

14. Journalists take great risks and face lethal violence when reporting from war-torn parts of the world --- to bring the truth to the people. What did you feel when you consider Margot and Johanna and the sacrifices they make? What do you think of Margot’s choices in the latter part of the novel? And Rafiq’s?

15. After reading this novel, what questions about that tumultuous time after 9/11 do you want to further discuss with your reading group/book club?