The Winter Soldier Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Medicine and World War I and our BookBrowse Review of The Winter Soldier.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The Winter Soldier is a story of World War I from the perspective of a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  Are you familiar with other novels where WWI is portrayed from this point-of-view, and if so, which?  Does this perspective make the story feel different from those told from the Allied side, and if so, how?
2. What surprised you about the novel? Did you learn anything new from it?
3. Lucius was passionate about becoming a doctor, but felt the origin of his interest was a mystery.  Based on the novel's depiction of his childhood, do you have any insight as to where his fascination may have had its genesis?  Have you ever been absorbed by a career or hobby and if so, do you know where your interest arose?

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