Would your Book Club be interested in reading and discussing my novels?
If so, I list below some of the issues readers have raised in other discussions. And if there are questions you’d like to ask me, contact me and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.
Discussion Topics Mrs A’s Indian Gentlemen
- Which of the three Indian Gentlemen do you find most appealing and why?
- What did Phyl means when she said to Akaash (p291) ‘Thank you. You’ve just saved a life,’ after they made love?
- What do you think happens to Akaash and Billy after the story ends?
- Do the EXHIBITS help or hinder the telling of the story? Why do you think the author chose this style?
The Final Charge
- Who is the hero of this story?
- Do Tom Miles recollections of the Mau Mau Emergency tell us anything about colonialism?
- Leo Kane describes War Crimes Trials as ‘…an exercise in futility and hypocrisy.’ (P348) What do you think?
- ‘The Charge,’ the cross-country safari rally, plays a large part in the story. Does it sound appealing to you?
- Which character would you most like to meet?
Taz
- Is Taz Dhar an appealing character? She has been described as ‘a very modern hero for a globalised world. Do you agree?
- Does the ‘Armitage Shanks’ process as described in the book differ at all from ‘Extraordinary Rendition’?
- Are Anu Sitaram and Dave Bignall the real heroes of the story?
- What do you think of Jonjo Amin Asante?
- Taz’s search takes from India to the UK, then Germany, Ethiopia, Ghana and The Gambia. Which seems most appealing to you and why?
The Peacock in the Chicken Run
- Does the plot of the story suit the Novella style?
- What does the character of Bhao bring to the tale?
- Could this story work in the age of mobile phones and internet connectivity?
- Do any themes emerge from the various relationships explored?
The Lords of Alijah
- Does the pace of the book work? The story is 470 pages long, but just covers events between 3 and 31 December 1899.
- Does Gwalior as described in the book match with your image of a Princely state in the Raj?
- Does the unique relationship between the ruler and his senior lords effect the outcome of events?
- How important is historical accuracy in a work of fiction like this?
- What is the influence of the dead Bob O’Connell on characters and events? Would the story have worked better if he had been alive?