by Anne Corlett
Discussion Questions
1) The novel features a physical journey across the stars, but the characters are also on an emotional journey. How does each character change over the course of the book?
2) A deadly virus has claimed the lives of the vast majority of humanity. What is it about our characters that led to their survival? What would you do to survive?
3) How does the title of the book fit into the story? What relevance does it have to each different character?
4) How do the short memory sequences help create a picture of Jamie? Why do you think the author chose to present these scenes in a nonchronological structure?
5) Jamie lost a baby before the book begins. How does this affect her during her journey?
6) The characters in the book have to make choices about how they are going to live in a postvirus world. Out of all the minor characters—such as Elsie and Mrs. Lawson—and major ones, whose choices do you find the most interesting?
7) When Jamie finds Daniel on Alegria, he is closely involved with the administration’s attempt to rebuild society. Jamie is appalled by the methods they are prepared to adopt, and she rejects Daniel’s entreaties for her to stay. Do you sympathize with Daniel? Why or why not?
8) When we first encounter Mila and Finn, Mila mentions a “bad man,” and Jamie later finds the body of a man who appears to have been murdered. Do you think there really was someone stalking Mila and Finn, or was it all in Mila’s head? Are Jamie and the others right to leave without trying to make contact with a potential survivor?
9) Sea glass is a recurring image in the story. What does it represent?
10) The search for patterns and meaning comes up throughout the book. How is this presented in each of the different character?
11) Why do you think Callan changes his mind about abandoning the other travelers? How does his backstory influence the choices he makes in the book?
12) Jamie is reunited with her stepmother toward the end of the book, and their relationship is much stronger than it had been before the virus. What has changed?
13) Do you think Jamie and Callan’s relationship will last? How is it different from Jamie’s relationship with Daniel?
14) Near the end of the book, we find out that something has gone wrong with the attempt to rebuild society on Alegria. What do you think happened, and why?
15) It is implied that Jamie is pregnant at the end of the book. We also know that another survivor has managed to conceive, despite the administration’s fears that the virus rendered everyone infertile. Would the ending have felt different without these pregnancies? What do you think would happen to a community without a future generation?
16) The book ends with a sense of hope for the future. How do you think each character’s story line will pan out?
17) Imagine yourself in Jamie’s position, in a largely empty world. Where would you go, and what sort of future would you build?
PHOTO BY PETER TRAVERS PHOTOGRAPHY
Anne Corlett is a criminal lawyer by profession and has recently completed an M.A. in creative writing at Bath Spa University. Her work has been published in magazines and anthologies, and her short fiction has won, placed, or been short-listed in national and international awards. The Space Between the Stars is her first novel. Visit her online at annecorlett.co.uk and twitter.com/consummatechaos.
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