BKMT READING GUIDES
Cross Currents
by John Shors
Paperback : 352 pages
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“A master storyteller.” – Amy Tan, bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club
“I’m deeply moved by his work.” – Wally Lamb, bestselling author of She’s Come ...
Introduction
“A maelstrom of riveting action. I loved this book.” — Karl Marlantes, bestselling author of Matterhorn
“A master storyteller.” – Amy Tan, bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club
“I’m deeply moved by his work.” – Wally Lamb, bestselling author of She’s Come Undone
Thailand's pristine Ko Phi Phi island attracts tourists from around the world. There, struggling to make ends meet, small-resort owners Lek and Sarai are happy to give an American named Patch room and board in exchange for his help. But when Patch's brother, Ryan, arrives, accompanied by his girlfriend, Brooke, Lek learns that Patch is running from the law, and his presence puts Lek's family at risk. Meanwhile, Brooke begins to doubt her love for Ryan while her feelings for Patch blossom.
In a landscape where nature's bounty seems endless, these two families are swept up in an approaching cataclysm that will require all their strength of heart and soul to survive...
Excerpt
Saturday, December 18Consequences
Lek opened his eyes, though his body remained as still as the gecko on the ceiling. He watched it, as he often did, admiring its patience, aware of its seemingly perpetual hunger. The creature was the length of his forefinger, and the color of mahogany. Lek enjoyed gazing at the gecko, though he was jealous of its speed. If a moth landed nearby, the gecko moved as if lightning filled its veins. Yet in the absence of insects, the gecko was without motion, a silent sentinel that protected Lek’s home from airborne invaders. ...
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Discussion Questions
1. Where were you when the Indian Ocean Tsunami struck on December 26, 2004?2. What was your reaction to the catastrophe?
3. Some novelists tend to stay away from subject matter that evokes such powerful emotions. Did John Shors bring the story of the disaster to life in a way that honored those who died and suffered?
4. The author traveled multiple times to Ko Phi Phi before and after the tsunami struck. Do you think it’s important for writers to have such personal connections with the places they bring to life on the page?
5. Cross Currents explores the relationships between locals and tourists. In real life, do you think each set of people understands the other?
6. How do you believe people from different cultures best learn from each other?
7. What did you think of Patch’s initial decision to try to flee Thailand, rather than to turn himself in? If you had been related to him, would you have tried to convince him to take another path?
8. Lek and Sarai assume a significant amount of risk when they let Patch stay with them for such an extended period of time. Did you agree with their decision?
9. What did you think about the relationship between Ryan and Dao? What was each character looking for?
10. Which character faced the greatest challenges and rose to the occasion most impressively?
11. If you had lived on Ko Phi Phi and endured the tsunami, would you have left afterwards?
12. What do you think about the book’s title? Did your perception or feelings toward the title change after reading the novel?
Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
On December 26, 2004, one of the largest earthquakes in human history occurred off the coast of Indonesia, creating a series of massive tsunamis that struck countries bordering the Indian Ocean. Waves varied in height, some reaching almost one hundred feet tall. It is estimated that 230,000 people, representing forty nationalities, died in the catastrophe. Ko Phi Phi is a beautiful, butterfly-shaped island off the coast of Thailand—an island that has long been a prized destination for tourists. The center of Ko Phi Phi, where people live and work, is about six feet above sea level. Two waves struck Ko Phi Phi—each from an opposite side of the island. One wave was ten feet high, the other eighteen. The waves met in the middle of the island, pulling restaurants, hotels, schools, and people out to sea. Approximately one-third of Ko Phi Phi’s ten thousand residents and visitors died. Yet, miraculously, thousands of Thais and tourists lived. Cross Currents is inspired by my multiple trips to Ko Phi Phi, before and after the tsunami. It’s a fictionalized account of this calamity—of what happened, and of the tragedies and triumphs of that day…”Book Club Recommendations
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