A Doubter's Almanac Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Challenges of Genius and our BookBrowse Review of A Doubter's Almanac.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. A Doubter's Almanac is a book about genius and math, but also a book about families—­the Andret family specifically. What was your reaction at the beginning of Part Two when you realized that Milo's son, Hans, had been narrating the book?
2. When Hans introduces his mother, he says: "How can I describe her? She was a creature who lived to serve others. If that is the criterion one uses for loveliness, then my mother was the paragon of loveliness." In what ways does Helena Pierce serve her family? Do you think she passes that quality of service down to Hans and Paulie? In what ways does Milo serve his family?
3. The woods, and the act of being in the woods, come up often throughout the book, especially for Milo. What do you think being in the woods does for Milo that a normal life in the city couldn't?

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