God's Ear

by Rhoda Lerman

  Discussion Questions

  1.

  The complex and extremely well-developed characters in God’s Ear are central to the progression of the novel. Which characters did you like or dislike? Why?

  2.

  Religious and family responsibilities are often indistinguishable in God’s Ear. How do they collide in the book? Is it significant that the story takes place in Kansas?

  3.

  Would this novel be accessible for someone without a background of Jewish traditions and teachings? Why do you think Lerman made these traditions such a central part of the story?

  4.

  Why do you think Lerman chose to write about a father and son? How would it change if this tension was portrayed between a mother and daughter?

  5.

  Do you think the issues Lerman is addressing in the late 1980s are still relevant to readers today? How would the story change if it were to take place in the present?

  6.

  Would you like to see this novel adapted into a movie? How would the story transform if it were made into a television show, a radio show, or a play?

  7.

  Do you think Lerman exaggerates any aspects of Jewish traditions that are portrayed in the novel? If so, what does she over-emphasize?

  8.

  If you could change anything about the book, what would you change?

  9.

  Why do you think the novel is called God’s Ear? What role does God play in it?

  10.

  Tradition is important in many ways in the book. Why do you think such emphasis is put on certain traditions? Do you think Yussel is right to challenge them? What are other stories where characters challenge a norm, and how are they different from or similar to this one?