Reviews of Father of Lions by Louise Callaghan

1
Abu Laith

Abu Laith was not the kind of man to let another man insult his lion. Especially not a man who looked like this.

He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, well pressed, and had the air of a civil servant. He carried a baby in the crook of his left arm. In his right hand he held a reed, plucked from the banks of the River Tigris, which he was using to poke Abu Laith's newly acquired lion cub, who was asleep in his cage.

The man's wife and the rest of his children stood nearby, watching sullenly. Despite his efforts, the poking was having no measurable effect on the lion, who wasn't moving at all. All of this registered in Abu Laith's mind as he ran at full pelt through the zoo towards the man, who had not seen him coming.

It was around 7.30 p.m. in the zoo by the Tigris, and the dusk was settling pink over Mosul's Old City. Families were sitting outside the zoo cafe drinking cold Pepsi and glasses of tea. The bears were reclining in their cages as Abu Laith charged past.

'What are ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. When ISIS takes over Mosul and the Iraqi army evacuates, Abu Laith and his family try to run away, though they have to go back. Hakam and his family don't even try to leave. Would you stay or would you try to run?
2. Though there are common struggles and events, Abu Laith and his family have a very different experience of the years living under siege than Hakam and his family do. Why do you think that is?
3. Lumia is often angry with Abu Laith for thinking about the animals when she thinks he should be prioritizing his family because they're humans and deserve his help before the animals do, but Abu Laith believes that if you don't have mercy on animals you cannot be a good person. Who do you agree with? Is it possible to agree with ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers!

Here are some of the comments posted about Father of Lions.
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Abu Laith and his family have a very different experience of the years living under siege than Hakam and his family do. Why do you think that is?
Different socioeconomic levels and education levels, as well as our childhoods, color our responses to situations. - BuffaloGirl

Abu Laith tells the children they’ll have to "go hungry sometimes to feed the animals." Some might think telling children they’ll have to go hungry is taking things too far. Do you agree or disagree?
It would be terrible to watch the animals starve, but it would be worse to see your children go hungry. That being said, there really didn't seem to be instances where he literally took food away from his children and gave it to the animals. - Junebug

Abu Laith's children are all very concerned about the animals' well-being. Why do you think this is? Are they emulating their father? Is it just that kids love animals? Or is it something else altogether?
A child’s initial response to animals seems to be curiosity and then to emulate their parents. If their parents love and care for animals, the children will, also. If the parents are scared of animals, the child most likely will, also. If the ... - BuffaloGirl

Both Dr. Amir and Abu Laith care deeply about the animals, but they differ in their approach and thinking. Can you think of any noticeable differences between the two men in their approach to animal husbandry?
Dr Amir was an educated vet and had much more education than Abu Laith on animal husbandry. Abu Laith got most of his animal education from watching the National Geographic channel which generally shows animals in their natural habitat. Abu Laith had... - kellyo

Caring about animals is used as a litmus test for being a good person throughout this story. Do you agree with that?
While I agree cruelty to animals definitely put a person in the ‘bad’ category, there’s a big difference between cruelty to animals, and simply not caring about them. - jennie r