Harmony Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Spring Temple Buddha and our BookBrowse Review of Harmony.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. In the prologue, Alexandra says, "It doesn't even occur to you to say, 'That could have been me.' Because you know yourself, and it goes without saying. You would never get mixed up in something like that. End of story." (p. 1) What in your life have you gotten involved in that you thought you never would? How did it happen and why?
2. Tilly sees her family's story as if it were studied by scholars in a museum. How would it feel to see your family this way? If your family had a museum, what kind of artifacts would be on display?
3. Scott says, "I don't offer guarantees; I don't do magic. I tell the story that you need to hear in the current moment, and I'm always one hundred percent honest, even if I'm not telling the one hundred percent truth." (p. 181) How did you feel about the secrets he kept and how he behaved as the leader of the camp? Is what he did at all understandable? Is he forgivable?

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