Prophet Song Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Emergency Powers and our BookBrowse Review of Prophet Song.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Consider the opening scene of the novel. How does the author's choice of imagery and language begin to establish the tone of the book? What major themes does the scene foreshadow and how does this set the stage for the characters'—and readers'—introduction to a society rapidly unraveling in the grip of authoritarianism?
2. Who knocks at Eilish Stack's door at the start of the story and how does she respond? Were you surprised by her reaction? Upon the arrival of her visitors, what "universal reflex" (2) does Eilish become conscious of ? How does this begin to crack open for readers the feeling of the world she and her family now inhabit?
3. In Chapter 1 Simon tells Eilish that "tradition is nothing more than what everyone can agree on ... if you change ownership of the institutions then you can change ownership of the facts, you can alter the structure of belief " (20). What does he mean by this and where in the novel do readers find his observation proved true or untrue? What might this reveal about the power of storytelling— including the ways in which narrative can be co-opted as propaganda in order to undermine truth?

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