DISCUSSION QUESTIONS The Bone Code |
1. How
does the novel present the relationship between science and ethics? Did
reading the novel raise any questions or concerns for you about genetic
testing and the companies that provide genetic services?
2. This
novel begins with Temperance preparing to shelter from a hurricane. What
foreshadowing or metaphorical connections does the image of a hurricane
have in relation to Temperance’s case?
3. This
book was written and published amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and deals
with topics quite relevant to the book’s historical context. How has
your experience with vaccines and the recent pandemic affected your
understanding of the story? Did reading this inform your understanding
of how vaccines are created? Did the novel make you less likely, or more
likely, to want to be vaccinated in the future?
4. Temperance suggests that they must “follow the money” to determine what is going on. How does money impact scientific development and ethics? To what extent did a desire for profit
drive the characters in the novel?
5. In
one scene, Detective Vislosky is working crowd control at a near riot
over the capnocytophaga outbreak. How did news and advertising affect
the crowd? Are news outlets and reporters at all responsible for the
actions of their frequent listeners?
6. How
does the death mask figure into the book’s larger narrative?
7. Genetics
play a large role in the action of this novel. Several characters are
revealed to have familial connections. What role does the family play in
the novel, and what is the significance of the genetic relationships
between characters? What is the role of genetic relationships for us
today?
8. All
four victims in this case were never reported missing --- nobody ever
looked for them. What were the special circumstances that allowed their
disappearance to go unnoticed? In a totally wired world, how do people
just disappear?
9. Technical
and scientific language appears frequently throughout THE BONE CODE.
Tempe is investigating a case about genetics and vaccine development,
and we’re introduced to a world of unfamiliar acronyms and terms,
including “CRISPR,” “neuraminidase” and “M2 ion channel,” among others.
How does the frequent use of these concepts shape your experience as a
reader?
10. The
novel takes place in two primary locations: Montreal, Canada, and
Charleston, North Carolina. How do these two settings influence the
novel’s plot? What cultural and geographic characteristics do the cities
share, and in what ways do they differ? Does either of them offer a true
home to Tempe?
11. Tempe’s
longtime friend, Anne Turnip, plays a supporting role in this novel.
What is their relationship? How do they communicate with each other? How
does Tempe respond to Anne’s house being damaged by the hurricane? Would
you want to be friends with Temperance Brennan? What kind of friend do
you think she is?
12. When
Temperance first meets Detective Tonia Vislosky, they don’t have a warm
or collaborative relationship. By the end of the novel, they’re sharing
Thanksgiving dinner. What changed over the course of the novel to
transform their relationship? In what ways are these women similar, and
how do they regard each other? Compare Tempe’s relationship with
Vislosky to hers with Detective Claudel in Montreal.
13. The
victims in this case are young women and mothers. How does Tempe’s
relationship with her daughter potentially influence her response to
this case?
14. Patience
and waiting are themes throughout the novel. Temperance is often waiting
for results or further information. Her job seems to require patience.
How does her personality conflict or coincide with her working life? How
does her patience, or lack thereof, change her interpersonal
relationships as well?
15. What
are Dr. Aubrey “Sullie” Sullivan Huger’s motivations? How does your
understanding of his motivations change throughout the novel? Can we
justify Sullie’s actions, or he is clearly a villain through and
through?
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