A Place for Us Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Indian Muslim Marriage Ceremonies and our BookBrowse Review of A Place for Us.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How did you interpret the title of A Place for Us? Does this "place" refer to family, culture, community, or religion?
2. Through the nuances of her writing, Fatima Farheen Mirza depicts complex, multidimensional characters. How were different sides to her characters' personalities revealed? How do you reconcile Amar's behavior with Amira with the anger and resentment he holds toward his family?
3. Did your opinion of Rafiq change or develop as the narrative progressed? Did you become more sympathetic or understanding of the father portrayed early on in the novel when, in the final section, the novel switches to his first-person perspective?

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