A Long Way Gone - Questions and Menu

Hi Everyone,

The next book club meeting is at my house on Thursday January 10th.
The discussion questions are:

1. Chapter seven begins with the story of the imam’s death, followed by Ishmael’s recollections of his father and an elder blessing their home when they first moved to Mogbwemo. How do the concepts of faith and hope shift throughout this memoir? What sustains Ishmael emotionally and spiritually?
2. Chapter eight closes with the image of villagers running fearfully from Ishmael and his friends, believing that the seven boys are rebels. How do they overcome these negative assumptions in communities that have begun to associate the boys’appearance with evil? What lessons could world leaders learn from them about overcoming distrust, and the importance of judging others individually rather than as stereotypes?
3. What did Ishmael’s parents teach him about being a man? How did he define manhood once he began his long walk west? What general life lessons were his parents able to teach him that sustained him during his brutal passage from boyhood, and that he carries with him to this day?
4. Discuss the role of American hip-hop culture in creating a “soundtrack” for Ishmael’s life. Why are rappers so appealing to him?
5. The boys’ discovery of the Atlantic Ocean and their encounter with a cheerful fisherman who heals and feeds them is followed by the tragedy of Saidu’s death after a bird falls ominously from the sky. Discuss Ishmael’s relationship with the natural world. In what way is he guided by the constancy of the earth and sky?
6. When Ishmael arrives at the fortified village of Yele in chapter twelve, what do you discover about the way he began his military career? Was his service, and that of his equally young friends, necessary? What made his conscription different from that of drafted American soldiers serving in previous wars?
7. Ishmael tells us that some of the boys who had been rehabilitated with him later became soldiers again. What factors ensured that he could remain a civilian?
8. Storytelling is a powerful force in Ishmael’s life, even providing a connection to his future mother, Laura Simms. What traits make Ishmael a memorable and unique storyteller? How does his perspective compare to the perspectives of filmmakers, reporters, or other authors who have recently tried to portray Africa’s civil wars?
9. Ishmael describes his use of Krio and many tribal languages to communicate, as well as his ability to quote Shakespeare’s Elizabethan English. What communities and empires are represented in his many speech styles? In which “villages,” from the relatively new UN to the centuries-old Mende and Temne settlements, does the greatest wisdom lie?
10. How does Ishmael’s concept of family change throughout the memoir, from his early life in Mattru Jong, to the uncle with whom he is reunited, to his American family with Laura?
11. It takes many weeks before Ishmael feels comfortable with the relief workers’refrain that these events are not his fault. What destructive beliefs had he become addicted to? What states of deprivation and euphoria had his body become addicted to?
12. What universal truths does Ishmael teach us about surviving loss and hunger, and overcoming isolation?
13. Ishmael’s dramatic escape during the later waves of revolution concludes with the riddle of the monkey. Is his dream of obliterating the monkey—and its violent endgames—closer to being fulfilled in these early years of the twenty-first century? What would it take for all of humanity to adopt Ishmael’s rejection of vengeance?
14. Ishmael gives credit to relief workers such as Esther, in conjunction with organizations such as UNICEF, for rescuing him. He has dedicated his life to their cause, studying political science and speaking before a broad variety of groups, ranging from the Council on Foreign Relations to the Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities at the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. What steps has he inspired you to take to help end the use of child soldiers? How can each of us join Ishmael’s cause?
15. After reading the chronology of Sierra Leone’s history, what reasons can you propose for the coups in Ishmael’s homeland? Did the arrival of Portuguese slave traders, or the later colonization by the British, contribute to Sierra Leone’s twentieth century woes? What did you discover about the motivations of the army soldiers versus those of the rebels? In your opinion, what made the leaders of the RUF so ruthless for so long?

Since we did a Sierra Leone menu previously for another book that had stews and meaty dishes, maybe we should do something a little different. So how about some appetizerish food and desserts.

- binch akara (the deep fried black eyed peas) - 

- cassava fries w/ chili dip - Tanya

- avacodo dip and bread - Melissa

- black eyed bean dip - Karen

- veggie sticks for dipping - Danielle

For dessert:

- fruit plate (with mango. banana. papaya, pineapple, oranges) - 
          with coconut cream fruit dip - Tessa

- Benne cakes - Tessa
- groundnut (peanut) cakes - 

I will take care of the drinks! Look forward to seeing you all. 

REMINDER from Tessa:  We need to nail down our February meeting date (either Friday Feb 1st or Saturday Feb 2nd).  Please check your calendars so that we can pick a date and count heads.

Diary of an Ordinary Woman by Margaret Forster

Sorry this has taken awhile to post. I hope I can remember it all.

1. General impressions - I think everyone liked the book. We all found it a nice easy read.
2. Novel is described as a "fictionalized memoir" - We all found it to be quite authentic. Especially for those that didn't know that it was fictional until the end. Everything written regarding the social and political background seemed to fit with the times and added to the feeling of reality.
3. How did you find the diary method - everyone found it quite nice. It was easy to pick up and put down and read a few days even while cooking dinner.
4. View of Margaret Forster's authorial interventions - Most found that it helped move the story along, and sometimes even clear up some (not all) questions concerning events in the book.
5. Millicent's personality - most found in the beginning she was quite selfish and that did carry on through most of her life. The death of her sister and brother in law did change her character the most as she then had to raise the kids. You could then see how she became very dedicated to raising them.
6. Millicent compared to other women of her time - Most found that she was quite modern and ahead of her time.
7. Was Millicent extraordinary - It wasn't so much herself that was extraordinary but the events she lives through. Her life itself was quite ordinary but it was the events that she lived through, and having to live through and deal with the aftermath of 2 world wars is quite amazing in itself.

Hospitality Questionnaire - Erin

1. How often do you have company in your home (per week/month/year)?

We have company about a couple of times a month. It seems like almost every weekend in the summer.

2. What do you enjoy about hosting? What do you dislike?

I enjoy having a busy house and seeing other enjoy themselves. I love to sit and chat with people and i love to bake.

I'm not a huge fan of cooking and end up stressing a bit about what to make for dinner if they are dinner guests. I always want to make something that is slightly different (not extravagant), and then stress about making sure there is enough food (with paul saying that it would be too much food).

What i dislike about it is i feel like i don't get the chance to sit and chat and really visit. Between getting things ready and dealing with kids it sometimes feels like i haven't been able to have a good conversation with anyone (but i know that will change as the kids get older).

3. Name 2 things that you do for company/before company arrives, that you rarely/never do otherwise?

Before company arrives i mostly tidy up the kids toys, and clean the kitchen counter. I also straighten out the couch cushions. When we were first married i used to make sure the house was spotless. Clean like crazy, wash all the floors etc. I have since learned to let that go and make sure everything is clean, but not spotless.

4. What is on your "last-minute check list" right before the door bell rings?

Again this is just throwing some of the kids toys upstairs. I also have a kid that doesn't flush so i really should go around and check the toilets. I'll be adding that one to my check list.

5. What is your favourite "event" to host? (for example: coffee, a meal, evening, over-nighter, family/friends, outdoor/indoor, casual/formal...etc)

I love casual outdoor bbq's in the summer. I also like having people over for coffee. When my kids are old enough i think sleepovers would be fun.