Hard by a Great Forest Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Civil War in the Republic of Georgia and our BookBrowse Review of Hard by a Great Forest.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. The novel Hard by a Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili tells the gut-wrenching story of a war-torn family. Saba and his brother escaped the war in the Republic of Georgia as children. Their mother stayed behind, while their father fled with the kids to find asylum in the United Kingdom. What does the book reveal about the traumas of war? What effect does generational trauma have on Saba and his family?
2. Years later, as a young adult, Saba goes back to Tbilisi, Georgia. While much of the city has changed, Saba feels at once a sense of belonging and displacement. How does Saba attempt to reconcile with his past when returning to his homeland?
3. Saba searches for his father, Irakli, and his brother, Sandro, who both have vanished within weeks of their arrival in Georgia. As Saba follows a trail of clues, he unveils secrets that lead to dangerous sites and unknown people. Consider Saba's scavenger hunt as a hero's journey, in which the character embarks on a challenging adventure. What does Saba learn, and how is he transformed as a character?

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