The Traveler Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of The Traveler.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Maya has been trained since childhood to be a Harlequin, yet she chooses to live a normal life. What aspects of her upbringing play the largest part in her decision? In what ways does her relationship with Thorn exemplify the conflicts any daughter might have with a strong, distant father?
   


2. Are Thorn’s demands on Maya justified? Under what circumstances, if any, do children have a responsibility to renounce their own way of life and dedicate themselves to their parent’s cause? Why does Maya ultimately decide to honor her father’s request?
   


3. Discuss the meaning and ramifications of the Harlequin motto, "Damned by the flesh. Saved by the blood" [p. 22/mm 23*]. What familiar moral percepts or sayings embody the same or a similar message?
   

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