Discussion Questions for Under the Banner of Heaven

I hope you're enjoying our December Featured Book of the Month, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer. Some insightful comments about the book have already been posted, so here are a few discussion questions for you to consider. Join the conversation or add your own thoughts...we'd love to hear from you!

Did you like the book? Why or why not?

Given the nature of--and the motive for--the murders of Brenda Lafferty and her child, should Ron Lafferty be considered mentally ill? Or, as Krakauer states in his book, "If Ron wasn't insane--or at least no more "insane" than anyone else who believes in God--what was he? Why had the Lafferty brothers' religious beliefs turned them into ruthless killers?"

How would you expect maintream and fundamentalist Mormons to react to Krakauer's book?

About Under the Banner of Heaven

What's not to love about Under the Banner of Heaven, our December Featured Book of the Month? It's a true crime story, an exploration into the extremes of religious belief, and it's written by Jon Krakauer, one of my all-time favorite authors.

Under the Banner of Heaven tells the true story of Mormon fundamentalists Dan and Ron Lafferty, who murdered the wife and infant daughter of their younger brother Allen in 1984, but claimed they were acting on direct orders from God.

So take a break from the holiday madness, grab a blanket and some hot chocolate, and spend a chilly winter's night absolutely mesmerized.

Be sure to listen to Krakauer's informative NPR interview about his book or read my blog post on Turning the Page, our staff blog about books and reading.

About Jon Krakauer

Born in 1954, writer and journalist Jon Krakauer grew up in Corvallis, Oregon, where his father introduced him to mountain climbing at the age of eight.

He reached the summit of Mt. Everest while on assignment for Outside magazine in May 1996, but during his descent, a storm engulfed the peak, taking the lives of four fellow climbers. His subsequent book about the experience, Into Thin Air (1997), became a national bestseller.

Best known for writing stories about lives conducted at the outer limits of nature and society, Krakauer is also the bestselling author of Into the Wild (1996), Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith (2003), and Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman (2009).

About People of the Book

Perhaps I'm biased but I think our November selection, People of the Book, is a great choice to settle in with on a brisk fall evening. Joan, one of the contributors to Turning the Page, our books and reading blog, did a beautiful job summing up the plot. Here's an excerpt from her review:

"Australian manuscript conservator Hanna Heath is called in by a museum librarian in Sarajevo to preserve the unusual haggidah, which has miraculously survived the ethnic cleansings in that city as just the latest chapter in its long and violent history. She discovers tiny physical traces of the book’s past—a bloodstain, a fleck of butterfly wing, a cat’s hair, salt crystals—in its pages and binding.

As Hanna investigates the provenance of each of these clues, the novel jumps back in time through the centuries to reveal how each came to be in the book and to tell the tale of each person through its history who helped protect the book against destruction..."

And she concludes by saying:

"Lots of readers are going to enjoy Brooks’ detailed historical research, her very readable style, and the knowledge that it’s all inspired by a true story, the history of the Sarajevo Haggadah."

I couldn't agree more! By the way, if you'd like to read more of Joan's review, here's the link to her post in Turning the Page.

About Geraldine Brooks

Before turning her attention to writing novels, Geraldine Brooks was an award-winning foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, covering the crises in the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans. According to her website, while in Nigeria on assignment, she was arrested, thrown in jail, and accused of being a spy. While there, "she began to consider a midlife career change." (Who could blame her?) In 2001, her first novel, Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague, was published. Five years later, March, a retelling of Little Women from the perspective of Mr. March, was published and won the Pulitzer Prize.

If you're interested in learning more about Geraldine Brooks, I'd like to direct your attention to a couple of interesting links on her website. The first is an essay on "The Writing Life," and the second is a profile of her that appeared in the Washington Post.

I hope I have the opportunity to meet her someday. She's had a fascinating life and I've thoroughly enjoyed all three of her novels.

In Conclusion

Are you enjoying this "tale" about a dog's life? What part of the story have you come to? Is it when Annika...? I won't spoil it for you, but if you haven't finished yet continue reading you will be delighted.

It is said that in Mongolia a dog's tail is cut off and buried where no one can walk over the grave. If the dog has unfinished business it will come back as a human. Do you believe this to be true? Can you imagine your canine friend as a person? I had a dog that seemed to be trapped inside his body, the look in his eyes was so human. He has passed away, but wonder if maybe he had unfinished business and I didn't know it.
Would you know?

About the Art of Racing in the Rain

We're pleased to announce that The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, is the October selection. In this heartwarming and beautifully crafted novel, canine Enzo evaluates his life on the eve of his death, recalling his days as the loving protector of aspiring racecar driver Denny Swift and his family. "If you've ever wondered what you're dog is thinking (and who hasn't!), Stein's third novel offers an answer" said Publishers Weekly in their review of The Art of Racing in the Rain.

After you read and fall in love with this book (which we know you will), mark your calendar because Garth Stein is going to be one of the authors appearing at the Books by the Banks Book Festival on Saturday, October 17 at the Duke Energy Center. He'll be in the Author Pavilion all day, signing books and chatting with Festival attendees. Admission is free!