Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:
• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)
Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for The Unheard:
1. Josh's experiences in Zambia put the purposes and goals of the Peace Corp to test. You might talk about the usefulness of the Corp, which has recently come under scrutiny nationally. Consider the idealism of the young people who go into the Corps and the reality they usually end up confronting.
2. This has been referred to as a coming-of-age story, in which a young man comes to grips with the adult world. What did Josh Swiller learn in Africa about the so-called adult world—and how was he changed by his experiences.
3. Deafness is certainly a hardship, but Josh Swiller seems to have a remarkable ability to communicate—even in a foreign culture. To what extent did his deafness hinder him...or, perhaps, even help him in his work? What would it be like to be in his shoes? How well would any of us cope?
4. You might even discuss the culture of small African villages and the manner in which the leaders accomplish things— through what we consider corrupt means. How well prepared was Josh for the workings of village politics?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Please.)
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