What themes are reflected in the title? Did the title's meaning change to you as you read?

Which of the book's themes do you think are reflected in its title? Did its meaning change for you as you read the book?

I think the "night" represents endings, surviving change, and the book explores that when we find ourselves at the end of something, or alone, or moving through a bad time that it can be endured and that there is hope. I felt this was a book that was optimistic about life. There doesn't have to be big drama to be content and when there is a big event it doesn't have to take away from our peace.

The title may mean different things to each reader. On a simple level, it can refer to the seasonal darkness that falls almost completely in the long, frigid winter of Antarctica. It can be the sense of isolation and underlying despair of the characters who cope individually with life's challenges and disappointments. It could be the passage of time and significant life changes. It's a quiet, positive book that invites contemplation.

Navy Mom, I think you are familiar with endings and change. I like your representation of night and your obvious optimism about life. Night doesn't last forever, nor do the bad things that happen to us or that we bring on ourselves, however innocently. I agree with both you and lindah that this is a positive, optimistic book just perfect for contemplating the "nights" in our own lives.

I too like what Navy Mom says.Frankly, however, I am not sure the title captures the essence of the book for me. I wonder if Parrett could let us know other titles she thought of?

I am not sure I got all this out of the title. I guess I did not put that much thought into it. To me, when night comes means when a hard or scary time comes into your life. Times get better when the sun comes up. The people in this book are trying to get though the night the best way they know how, by sharing this time with others.

I'm with juliae. The title doesn't seem fitting to the story.

As others have said, "night" is a time of darkness - seasonal, daily, or a darkness of the soul. All happen in this book. But day follows night, and again, day and light occur in this book, also.

Loved reading all the posts about the title. Agree...it seems as if things are always "worse" at night, "better" in the day. The cycle, good vs bad, repeats itself throughout our lives as does day follows night.

I agree too. I am curious what other titles the author considered. What did the little boy "Tom" death have to do with the story? I am confused. That accident didnt happen at night!

Night time coming, that something might be happening when the night comes; that there was something of a mystery type book that something was a spooky happening when the night came. . My opinion very much changed when I found out that the location of the ship was in the southern hemisphere and that night was a "midnight sun"situation."

Also. My opinion changed when he began talking about how everyone left to go onshore excursion and since he was the cookhe had to stay behind and get ready for the next day. It also gave Bo a lot of time to think. There seemed to be sadness
, grief and thinking of those that died before. Her Mom missed her father and made changes in their lives when the husband and father died. Isla thought about missing her father at night, brother thought about friend's death.

Isla had the most loss in her life; she lost her father, had to help her younger brother get over his friend's death, lost the home and school and friends she used to walk to school and catch the ferry with. Isla lost her teacher that she really enjoyed having and she lost Bo when he left the relationship he was in with Isla's mother and left and got married and had a daughter Isla.