READERS GUIDE

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. How does the author depict The Country Under Heaven’s setting? How does the style ofwriting — particularly the unique diction — contribute to this setting?
2. What does Ovid’s connection to the Civil War tell us about his character? How is the war used as a driving force within the relationships that he forms?
3. How would Ovid’s tale be different if he didn’t experience enigmatic visions?
4. What is the role of nature in this story? What does it reveal about the supernatural elements of the world?
5. How did the brief interludes placed between each chapter contribute to the overall story?
6. Although it’s only indirectly mentioned, religion is central to many characters’ lives.What purpose is that meant to serve?
7. The concept of death is widely explored in the book. On page 282, Ovid says that when he was in the war, he killed “faceless men on a battlefield” who had “no name[s] and were just “boys in a field.” What does this tell us about his character?
8. Throughout his journey, Ovid comes across different people with unique backstories, all of whom he marks as integral parts of his experience. In your opinion, which community or individual character was most essential to the story? Why?
9. What do you think the “Craither” the narrator refers to throughout the novel signifies? Is it meant to have one direct meaning?
10. One concept portrayed in the story is the fleeting nature of life. How does Ovid contemplate this? What are some scenes where this seems to influence him? Does his way of thinking adapt or change through his different, otherworldly encounters?
11. What does Ovid’s relationship with Nancy Mavoren represent? What does their relationship suggest about one’s ability to find light in the darkness?
12. Why do you think Durbin chose to include the book’s exact title in the final line of thestory?