The Road Builder Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

1. Much of this novel revolves around communication. Characters speak in different languages, making communication difficult. Even those who speak the same language somehow have trouble connecting. What point(s) do you think Hershenow is making about our modern world?
   
   
2. Kate is an enigma. In what way does that drive the novel or create dramatic tension in the story?
   
   
3. In Ngemba, history merges with myth and story, so much so that it’s hard to discern hard, cold facts. Do you think the merging of narratives and beliefs encourages a broader understanding of the past or do you think it threatens history? If you believe history is threatened by the interweaving, do you believe this is a Western way of thinking?
   
   

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