After the Fire, a Still Small Voice Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Australia's role in the Korean and Vietnam Wars and our BookBrowse Review of After the Fire, a Still Small Voice.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

About This Book
After the Fire, a Still Small Voice illuminates the ties that bind men together and the wars, both personal and national, that drive them apart. From Canberra to the small beach town of Mulaburry comes Frank Collard, trying to put behind him painful memories–including the recent and turbulent departure of the woman he loves. Fifty years back, Leon Collard lives a quiet life in Sydney with his immigrant parents, who run a local bakery. But when Leon’s father enlists to fight in the Korean War and returns a broken man, the family crumbles. Years later, Leon runs into his generation’s war and, devastatingly, becomes a conscripted soldier in Vietnam.

As these two story lines unfold, we learn how Frank’s and Leon’s lives are intertwined. Set in a place where the land is old but the wounds are fresh, After the Fire, a Still Small Voice powerfully explores the inescapable past.

Reader's Guide

1. In many ways, After the Fire, a Still Small Voice is about love stories: Frank’s grandparents’, his parents’, and his own relationship with Lucy. What do you make of these relationships? What do they say about what is possible between two people, and if there is a price to be paid for love?
   


2. What part does gender play in the novel? Are the women portrayed differently from the men? If so, in what particular ways?
   


3. The land and the sea play intimate roles in the lives of all the characters. Have you been to Australia, or any place that reminds you of what you read? Does Wyld capture the essence of the land? How do you think it shapes the characters?
   

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.