Book Club Discussion - Option 1
1. How aware of Polish history were you before you read this book?
2. What is the significance of the name “Henryk” as it relates to Aniela’s family?
3. What significance does Aniela’s dancing have throughout this story?
4. How is the importance of language demonstrated in this book?
5. What does Henryk’s outburst regarding his father’s disillusionment during the Great War foreshadow?
6. In what ways was Aniela’s father important to Henryk?
7. What do the carvings in the chambers of the Wieliczka Salt Mine tell us about the miners who worked in it?
8. How does Henryk’s incident in which he saved Marian’s leg foreshadow future events?
9. What are your thoughts about Henryk’s behavior towards Aniela in the bar with Henryk’s friends?
10. What are your thoughts about what Aniela learned about beauty through her experience with Henryk and his friends?
11. How are the differences between city and country people examined in this story?
12. How are Poland’s attitudes toward foreign affairs and national sovereignty delineated by Aniela’s father and Henryk’s discussion while Henryk is attending the University?
13. What do you make of Aniela’s take on teaching dance as a lessor act of resistance than the fighting being done by Henryk? Did you think she should risk teaching dance underground?
14. In what ways did Aniela use the traditional understanding of feminine behavior to her advantage?
15. Do you think that Irena was working with the resistance?
16. What are your thoughts on the degree to which Aniela had to appease her German employer? Specifically, being a companion to Herr Neumann’s wife?
17. What did you think about Henryk’s being unable to cry in front of his wife over Wanda’s kidnapping, yet crying about it when he told his mother?
18. How do both Aniela’s and Joachim’s compromises of their values undo them both?
19. Did you believe that Henryk killed himself? Why or why not?
20. Do you believe Joachim has earned any form of forgiveness from Aniela?
Book Club Discussion - Option 2
1. How aware of Polish history were you before you read this book?
2. What significance does Aniela’s dancing have throughout this story?
3. How did the women in Henryk’s family influence Aniela?
4. Of what importance is the Wieliczka Salt Mine to this story?
5. What did you make of the legend of St. Kinga’s Cathedral? Why do you think Princess Kinga threw her engagement ring into a mineshaft in Hungary?
6. What is the significance of With Fire and Sword to the story? Why do you think this book inspired a fight between Aniela and Henryk early in their marriage?
7. What were your thoughts about Pan Majewski’s attitude and predictions of German behavior prior to his being sent to a labor camp?
8. Pani Majewska and Pani Gawdzik – both older Polish women – each interceded with younger Polish males when young boys were harassing an older Jewish man, and when Leon Szulc forced Aniela to dance in order to humiliate her. What do these males’ reactions to them in these instances tell us about the cultural status of Polish mothers?
9. How do we see Aniela’s political awareness and interest grow as German influence increases in Poland prior to the German invasion of Poland?
10. What role does food play at various points in the novel?
11. In what ways were Poles and Polish Jews separated from one another, and Poles encouraged – or forced – to accept, and even participate in this separation?
12. Do you think that Aniela should have seen the kidnapping of Wanda coming?
13. In what ways does the author give us a strong sense of Polish culture and the importance of family life prior to the German invasion of Poland?
14. What do you think Aniela’s comments regarding moving to the United States reflect as the Majewska’s take note of Jewish businesses being singled out as being specifically Jewish, rather than Polish?
15. What are your thoughts about Aniela’s “taming the tiger” memory after being raped by Joachim?
16. How do both Aniela’s and Joachim’s compromises of their values undo them both?
17. Did you believe that Henryk killed himself? Why or why not?
18. Do you believe Joachim has earned any form of forgiveness from Aniela?