Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of Lucky Strike.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
About the Book
In her second novel, Nancy Zafris once again creates a cast of colorful
characters who, in their search for uranium deposits, find themselves along the
way. Lucky Strike is a sometimes zany, always poignant look at the unexpected
friendships that develop among this group and the ties that bind them.
It's the 1950s and the U.S. government's atomic weaponry program has fueled a
demand for uranium. Jean Waterman is a young widow living in the Midwest with
her two children, one with a debilitating illness. Desperate to leave this life
behind, Jean packs her car and, along with her children, travels to the canyon
lands of the Southwest, hoping they will strike it rich and join the ranks of
"uraniumaires." Jean and her children arrive in Utah equipped with inadequate
gear and a few government pamphlets that glamorize uranium mining, ready to
claim their fortune and start their lives anew. They meet up with a small band
of townspeople from all walks of life, all prospecting to change their
circumstances. What ensues is a tangle of unlikely events that miraculously lead
these prospectors to not only discover uranium ore, but more importantly to mine
the wealth of their relationships and to find something far more valuable as the
adventure becomes a personal journey for each one.
Discussion
- The title of this novel, Lucky Strike, is also the name brand of one of
several Geiger counters that the characters use to search for uranium. What
significance does this title have to the story? Do the characters experience any
lucky strikes?
- What significance does the landscape play in the novel? Is there irony in
the fact that this barren Utah desert, where the story takes place, holds the
promise of great wealth from its uranium deposits? In the richness of these
deposits and the effects of uranium poisoning?
- Even though she doesn't believe the get-rich-quick claims in the
government pamphlets, Jean Waterman still takes her children, leaves her
Midwestern home and joins the ranks of uranium prospectors. How does her
relationship with her mother influence her decision to set out on this
adventure? The death of her husband? Charlie's teacher? Charlie's illness?
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- 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 Unbridled Books.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
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