Odessa Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Role of the Golem in Jewish Folklore and our BookBrowse Review of Odessa.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Think of how we are introduced to each character. Freida with Miriam in the water, Mordechai alone in his furniture shop, and Yetta with Benyamin in a field. How did these settings frame each protagonist' s story?
2. During the first attack, Yetta trusts Alexei. Why does she place her trust in him while witnessing his violence?
3. Mordechai believes that he will be the chosen one to save his family and his community. How does that conviction slip over time?

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