ICE Breakers
TWELVE POST-WAR TALES
BOOK OF THE MOMENT
‘In a dozen pages Swift can embrace a whole life’ - Do you agree and is there a character that you empathise with the most? Are they deserving of a longer story?
Which stories are the most memorable and why?
What themes and messages do you think Swift was trying to convey?
Did your book club agree that war wounds ran deep beyond the battlefields and do you think with the passing of time we have become immune to its consequences?
Have you read any novels by Graham Swift and do you think this is a good introduction to his work?
IN MEMORIAM
MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Why do you think soldiers followed orders without question, even when they knew the outcome was nearly always inevitable death? Do you think more should have been done to stop these young people, still at school, enlisting when they were clearly underage?
What role does 'pride' and ‘honour’ play in this story?
How does the strong relationship between Gaunt and Ellwood affect their decision making, particularly on the battlefield?
Which aspects of Winn’s portrayal of life in the trenches upset you the most?
Do you think the psychological or physical injuries of war have the greater long term effect?
How did this story differ from other fiction you have read about WW1?
How did Winn’s use of 'The Preshutian' impact the story?
Were you aware of how often captured British soldiers tried to escape the prison camps?
THE ESCAPE ARTIST
A gripping read and an important retelling of Vbra’s escape and his message to the world. Which stories caught your attention in the group?
Were you able to recognise how the Jews might have been deceived and what do you think they could have done differently to avoid their own fates?
Freedman shares Vrba’s unwavering courage and conviction to telling the truth and was fearless in his criticism of government and religious leaders even to the point of alienating Jewish audiences? How did this feel?
Was Vrba a likeable person and do you think he ever found peace in life?
Were you surprised by the lack of action and urgency taken by the Hungarians to stop the deportations?
Do you think Freedman has successfully told us a story that will stand the test of time and is this a book you will share?
THE WILD CARD