The Turnaround Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Fisher House Program and our BookBrowse Review of The Turnaround.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Discuss the character of John Pappas.  How influential does he prove to be in the life of his son, Alex?
2. The Turnaround is a story in which many of the characters undergo difficult struggles and large transformations.  Which character do you think learned the most and why?
3. Discuss the role of family in the novel.  How does the way Alex thinks of family change after he becomes a father?  How strong a force does family prove to be by the novel’s end?

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