Discussion questions:

1. What themes later explored in the book are set out in the opening description of the trip to the British Empire Exhibition and Queenie’s first encounter with a black man?
   
   
2. How are the attitudes of the US and British armed forces to black people portrayed? What are the differences and similarities?
   
   
3. What techniques does Andrea Levy use to distinguish the voices of her four narrators? How reliable are their interpretations of the events described?
   
   
4. What do we learn through the four main characters about society’s expectations of men and women?
   
   
5. What similarities are there between Gilbert and Bernard’s wartime experiences? What changes do they see when they each return home?

For more questions visit the READ 2007
website at www.smallislandread.com