The Way The Crow Flies Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Name: The Way The Crow Flies
Rating: 4.9 (8 reviews)
Author: Ann-Marie MacDonald
ISBN: 9780060578954

The Way The Crow Flies

by Ann-Marie MacDonald

Critics' Consensus (8):

Readers' Rating (9):

First Published:
Sep 1, 2003, 736 pages

Paperback:
Aug 2004, 752 pages

X
- Literary Fiction
- Canada
- 1960s & '70s
- Adult Books From Child's Perspective
Genres & Themes
Publication Information

Rate this book
Write a Review

About this Book

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

Book Description

For Madeline McCarthy, high-spirited and eight years old, her family's posting to a quiet air force base near the Canadian-American border is at first welcome, secure as she is in the love of her beautiful mother, and unaware that her father, Jack, is caught up in his own web of secrets. The base is host to some intriguing inhabitants, including the unconventional Froehlich family, and the odd Mr. March whose power over the children is a secret burden that they carry.

Soon after the McCarthy's move tragedy strikes, and a very local murder intersects with global forces, binding the participants for life. As the tension builds, Jack must decide where his loyalties lie, and Madeleine learns about the ambiguity of human morality -- a lesson she will only begin to understand when she carries her quest for the truth, and the killer, into adulthood twenty years later.

Topics for Discussion

How does the author demonstrate the time period throughout the story?

Through brief passages preceding some chapters, MacDonald offers the reader small tidbits of information pertaining to the story that would otherwise remain unknown. Why do you think the author uses this narrative technique?

📖

Get the full reading guide

Join BookBrowse free to unlock all 4 discussion questions, author background, themes, and more for The Way The Crow Flies.
Join free — it takes 30 seconds
Already a member? Log in →

How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Harper Perennial. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.

Membership Advantages

Reviews

"Beyond the Book" articles

Free books to read and review (US only)

Find books by time period, setting & theme

Read-alike suggestions by book and author

Book club discussions

and much more!

Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.

More about membership!