Monica Bhide I am so delighted that so many of you are reading THE DEVIL IN US. So many of you have written and asked for book club questions. I, in turn, asked some of my dear friends to provide insights and questions for book clubs. So here you go! In addition to the questions, please know that I am available for book club meetings – in person, via phone or Skype. Happy to chat with you and your fellow readers about the book. Please do let me know if you have any questions.
(PS – if you create questions about this book for your book club and would like to share them with all the readers, do send them along. I will post them here with attribution!)
Book Club Questions
Reader Luca Marchiori’s List
The subtitle of the book is ‘stories of love, life, and redemption’. Which of these themes apply most closely to each story?
At the end of the story The Devil in Us Rehana becomes sure that ‘she had married the right man.’ What qualities does her husband exhibit to lead her to this conclusion?
How justified do you think Yamini is in her treatment of the security guard in Soul Catcher?
How could you summarize the states of mind that the main character experiences throughout Karma and the Art of Redemption and what led her to each?
Reader Popsy Kanagaratnam’s List
The Devil In Us – Sonia establishes herself as the stronger one in the relationship. What are the indicators of their relationship, and what foreshadows the change in their relationship?
The Soul Catcher – What is the significance of the candles? How does the fortune teller’s prediction play out in this story?
Karma and the Art of Redemption – How do you deal with causing the death of another? What messages do you hear in the speaker’s monologue?
Longings – Leena asks her dad, “You want me to show up and ask if I can stay…” yet she finds herself doing just that. Discuss the cultural expectations that she has before she goes to India, and what she finds when she is there.
Longings – Leena asks Vinit, “…that kid…he has no clothes, and yet he is smiling and playing. How is that?” Vinit’s response is,” Happiness is free.” Discuss the ways in which different cultures express joy.
Home Alone – To whom does the title refer? Dolly or Shaya?
Home Alone – Shaya’s brother says of Dolly, “…she only loves herself.” Is this true?
True Love – Yuhiho tells her parents the truth but they don’t believe her. How do other cultures view love? Is Yuhiho correct and will her conservative parents not understand?
The Run – was Anamika being careless? Could she have done things differently? What conclusion would you have reached after hearing the report?
The Vermilion Promise – What do the mangasutra and the sindoor signify?
The Prize of War – to what does the title refer? Did Zara meet Bob’s mother?
Doubts – Nihad seems too good to be true. Is he really? What role does Geet play in his downfall? Of what was Geet guilty?
Dear John – begins with such an every day scene, yet concludes so differently. What foreshadowing is there to suggest what happens in the end?
The Devil In Us – is this anthology well-named? How would you interpret or apply the title of the anthology? Does it convey a sense of the stories?
