1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What did you like about reading a multigenerational saga rather than a novel about a shorter time period? What other sagas have you read and how did this one compare?
• How much did you know about the history and relationship between Korea and Japan before reading? Did the text shift your perspective?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• The novel focuses on the similarities and differences between two sets of brothers: Isak and Yoseb, and Noa and Mozasu. How does the portrayal of sibling dynamics compare to your own personal experiences? 
• Many of the characters survive despite extreme circumstances, which frequently involve not only poverty but hunger and tragedy as well. Does the resiliency that they display to overcome these challenges speak to you? Why or why not?
• At the heart of the family is the experience of maternal suffering, sacrifice, and self-denial: Yangjin marries a man with a disability and devotes herself to his care; and Sunja works incredibly hard to provide for her sons.