The story opens with Maya’s aunt finding a husband in an “international dating magazine” (4), a stereotype often applied to women from former Soviet countries. Does Okimoto subvert this stereotype or perpetuate it? How so? How does this detail contribute to the story’s wider discussion on Gender Roles and Taboos Between Cultures?

Okimoto says she does not read YA fiction. Discuss how that might influence her writing. Does this story share traits with other YA literature? How does it deviate from genre tropes?

What is the relationship like between the Maya and Nurzhan? Discuss their interactions. What effect does this have on their characters and the story as a whole?