Ask Again, Yes

Examine the shooting of Francis Gleeson in Part 1. How does sharing the narrative from multiple perspectives enrich the storytelling? What is gained—or lost—by compelling the reader to piece together what happened from a variety of accounts over more than 100 pages?

Research Molly Bloom’s soliloquy from James Joyce’s masterwork Ulysses. How does that literary allusion shape your interpretation of Keane’s closing section?

Explore the novel’s examination of mental illness and the treatment(s) Anne receives over more than 40 years. How does Dr. Abassi help her? What does their relationship say about the damage done by keeping secrets? How does Anne finally recover enough to return to her family?

Do a character study of Uncle George Gleeson. How does he epitomize how a family should work? 

Four professions figure in the novel: nurse, police officer, forensic scientist, and teacher. How does each occupation symbolize Keane’s theme of redemption through selflessness?

Kate’s decision to seek Anne’s help in addressing Peter’s alcoholism is the novel’s pivotal event. Examine both the causes for Kate’s decision and the reasons why Anne accepts the offer. How does this moment mark the beginning of the novel’s final redemptive arc?

How do you read the novel’s optimistic ending? Do you find the ending incompatible with the narrative? Is it believable, or does it compromise the novel’s overarching commitment to realism?

The novel uses both diabetes and alcoholism to explore genetics and how both personalities and decisions can be shaped by that inheritance. Which do you think best accounts for Peter’s unraveling and ultimate redemption: genetics or experience? Why?