DISCUSSION QUESTIONS The Readers of the Broken Wheel Recommend |
1. One of the themes in The Readers of
Broken Wheel Recommend is how a single individual can strengthen a
community or repair fragile lives. First, why does Sara Lundqvist decide
that the people of Broken Wheel need a bookstore? Next, how does she
become a catalyst for change—what is it about Sara that gives her such
influence? John says I think about historic injustices too much. Maybe he’s right, but it’s just that it doesn’t feel historic to me. We never seem to be able to accept responsibility for them. First, we say that’s just how things are, then we shrug our shoulders and say that’s just how things were, that things are different now. No thanks to us, I want to reply, but no one ever seems to want to hear that .—What do you make of Amy's view of human
indifference to injustice. Is she cynical, overly idealistic, or
realistic? 3. Have you ever had a long-lasting correspondence with someone you didn't know...or even with someone you did know? Can letter writing form as deep a relationship as personal contact? 4. What do you think of Sara's emotional engagement with books: Sara couldn’t help but wonder what life might be like if you couldn’t daydream about Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy...because you yourself had created him .—Is your attachment to books as strong as Sara's? Do you sometimes wonder if your involvement with them takes precedence over your real life? 5. Another theme in Broken Wheel is
the power of books to change lives. What gives them such power—what's
their secret? What is the town of Broken Wheel like when Sara arrives,
and how does it change by the book's end. |