The Light Pirate Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Impact of Climate Change in Florida and our BookBrowse Review of The Light Pirate.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The English word "hurricane" is adopted from the Spanish word huracán, which is derived from Juracán, the name the Taíno, the Indigenous people of the Caribbean, bestowed upon their God of chaos and destruction. Hurricane Wanda, however, is depicted as a powerful yet impersonal force: "The hurricane takes what yields. Nothing more; nothing less." How do these two interpretations affect your personal feelings about natural disasters—and their consequences?
2. The novel unfolds in four parts: power, water, light, and time. How does The Light Pirate's unique structure mirror Wanda's journey from childhood to adulthood while also speaking to the changes taking hold of the natural world?
3. One major theme of The Light Pirate is humanity's turbulent relationship with nature and climate change. Frida is paralyzed by the enormity of a collective decline she sees occurring all over the world. Kirby is determined to ignore it, to focus only on problems with immediate solutions. Phyllis has given up on civilization and is instead preparing for the worst. How did these different coping mechanisms make you think about your own response to the challenges humanity faces?

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