Discussion Questions

1. Why does Grossman begin his story with the dream-like segment recalling the time when Ora, Ilan and Avram were in the hospital? What does it lead you to expect from the rest of the novel? Does it help to understand our central characters having this glimpse into their teenage experience?

2. What single word would you use to name the theme of the novel? Is it religious or political?

3. What function does Sami serve in this novel? What do we learn about Ora through her interactions with him? And, what does it mean when Ora tells Sami to drive to where the country ends and he replies, “For me it ended a long time ago”? (page 133)

4. Discuss Ora’s family and the interplay between Ilan and her two sons. What effect does the ‘secret’ have on them?

5. Explain the significance of the title.

6. Ora makes a ‘life decision’ when she is a child (page 333). Is it possible for her to control her life and its events in the way she imagines? In what way is this novel about fate and destiny?

7. How does Grossman’s personal note at the end of the novel change your experience of the fiction? What next steps seem inevitable or possible for Ora, Avram, and the rest of the characters?