A Great Reckoning Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General and our BookBrowse Review of A Great Reckoning.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. "The worst was coming. But so was the best. The snow angels were coming," Gamache reflects in the first chapter. Aside from evoking the chill of November, what expectations do these lines raise about the story to come?
2. What do you think of Gamache's decision to invite Brébeuf to teach at the academy? What does the invitation, and Brébeuf's acceptance of it, say about the two men?
3. In what ways is the map significant to Gamache, the villagers, and the various cadets? What significance does it have for you?

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