Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
Introduction
John McCain is one of the most admired leaders in the United States
government, but his deeply-felt memoir is not a political one and ends
before his election to Congress. With candor and ennobling power, McCain
tells a story that, in the words of
Newsweek, "makes the other
presidential candidates look like pygmies."
John McCain learned about life and honor from his grandfather and
father, both four-star admirals in the U.S. Navy. This is a memoir about
their lives, their heroism, and the ways that sons are enriched and
shaped by fathers. McCain's grandfather was one of the navy's greatest
commanders, and led the strongest aircraft carrier force of the Third
Fleet in key battles during World War II. McCain's father followed a
similar path, equally distinguished by heroic service in the navy, as a
submarine commander during World War II. He, too, rose to the rank of
four-star general, making the McCains the first family in American
history to achieve that distinction.
John McCain faced the most difficult challenge of his life in
Vietnam. A naval aviator, he was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and was
seriously injured. When Vietnamese military officers realized he was the
son of a top commander, they offered McCain early release in an effort
to embarrass the United States. Acting from a sense of honor taught to
him by his father and the U.S. Naval Academy, McCain refused the offer.
He was tortured, held in solitary confinement, and imprisoned for five
and a half years.
Faith of My Fathers is about what McCain learned from his
grandfather and father, and how their example enabled him to survive
those hard years. It is a story of three imperfect men who faced
adversity and emerged with their honor intact. Ultimately, Faith of My
Fathers shows us, with great feeling and appreciation, what fathers give
to their sons, and what endures.
Questions for Discussion
- John McCain and John Sidney McCain lived much of their childhoods
without their fathers. However, even with this absence, their fathers
became a major force and influence in their every day lives. How did
this come to be?
- According to McCain, an officer's honor is greatly defined by his
obligation to the enlisted men he commands. How did this relationship
between the officers and enlisted men influence the type of military
career McCain, his father, and his grandfather had?
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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 HarperPaperbacks.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
