Discussion Questions for Our Missing Hearts

[Jonathan Bacon]

As I was going through Our Missing Hearts again I started drafting some possible questions for tomorrow evening's (May 16th) book club meeting. In case it helps, here's a list of possible discussion topics.

1. Why does Bird’s father tell him to stay away from any trouble or anything that attracts attention?
2. Why has Bird gone by his legal name Noah for the past three years?
3. What nationality is Sadie?
4. What does PACT stand for? Why was it passed? 
5. What are the 3 pillars of PACT?
6. Sadie’s teacher says “Did you know that paper books are out of date the instant they’re printed?” What is this a justification for? What is Sadie’s response?
   
7. What happened to many books in the library, both school and public, as a result of PACT?
8. What happened in the pizza shop and why is the sign “God bless all loyal Americans” threatening?
9. After PACT “authorities” deemed some books dangerous, to be kept only if they were kept out of reach. Who should decide who has access to which books? Government, teachers, parents, or?
10. What does the Chinese character that represents Bird's mother’s name (Miu) mean?  貓
11. What is the meaning of the Japanese folktale that Bird’s mother told him?
12. Is there some symbolism to the large tree in front of Bird’s childhood home that has been cut down?
13. “All our missing hearts scattered, to sprout elsewhere.” Why would that portion of Margaret’s poem be controversial?
14. Did you notice anything strange about the punctuation in the novel? What’s the meaning?
15. What’s the role of the librarian in the novel? What do we know about her? What about Mrs. Adelman? Who was she?
16. In the stories his mom told Bird, the hero always needs to suffer through an arbitrary trial. Why?
17. When Bird gets to New York City, he experiences a shocking scene, what is it? It reminds him that “He’d forgotten: in fairylands there is evil, too. Monsters and curses. Dangers lurking in disguise.”
18. Margaret thinks to herself on reuniting with Bird that “She’d worried about him, moving through a rough world as a tender bare heart, beating out in the open where anything could cause a bruise.” What’s that mean?
19. Margaret remembers her parents' sayings. Her father’s saying: The stick hits the bird that holds its head the highest. Her mother’s: The nail that sticks up gets hammered down. What did they mean?
20. What was Margaret and Ethan’s relationship like before PACT?
21. Ethan dissected words such as testify, author, poet and crisis. What do they each mean?
22. What happened to Margaret’s father?
23. Who was Domi and what did armor check mean?
24. Who was Marie Johnson? How does she fit in the story?
25. How are people, good people, intimidated to ignore injustice in the novel?
26. What was Margaret making with bottle caps and wires and leaving all over the city? When you first read about her project, what did you think she was doing?
27. Do you have any reflections on the novel in relation to our world today?

Pick a couple of questions (or bring your own) to discuss tomorrow evening. We hope you'll join us at 7 PM in the Church Library of the Community of Christ church (7842 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS) tomorrow, May 16, 2024.

Jonathan Bacon
jonatha...@gmail.com