Reader resource
Empyrean Discussion Guide
Ten questions for conversations about conscience, coercion, survival, faith, and memory.
About the Discussion Guide
These questions refer to the full novel. For the history of the camps and their liberation, the accompanying historical guide links to survivor accounts, military reports, and museum collections.
- 01
When does the Captain question an order? What responsibilities does he consider before acting?
- 02
What choices can Ionel make while working under Burg? How do you judge each man’s responsibility for what happens?
- 03
What do Ionel, Esther, Sabina, the Captain, and Chaplain Pierson hope to recover after the war?
- 04
What risks do Ionel and Esther take in searching for Miriam? How do they discuss those risks?
- 05
Which actions or memories trouble the Captain? How does he describe them to Pierson?
- 06
How do Lindley and Burg justify the orders they give? How do the people under their command respond?
- 07
What do the survivors need after the soldiers arrive? What prevents them from getting help?
- 08
Why does Ionel hide his books and poems? What do you learn about his life before imprisonment through his reading and writing?
- 09
What do the soldiers understand about the prisoners’ experiences? What do they struggle to comprehend?
- 10
Which character’s decision did you find hardest to understand? Why?
Historical Background
Read about conditions in the camps when Allied soldiers arrived and the survivors’ search for relatives and homes after the war.