THE LONG FLIGHT HOME ABOUT THIS GUIDE

A READING GROUP GUIDE

THE LONG FLIGHT HOME ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The suggested questions are included to enhance your group’s
reading of Alan Hlad’s The Long Flight Home.

1. Before reading The Long Flight Home, what did you know about homing pigeons used in World War II? Can you name additional animals that have served in times of war? What were the views on animal rights during World War II? After reading this book, do you feel the same about pigeons?

2. What are Susan’s fears during the Blitz? Why does she believe her pigeons can help save Britain? What did you learn about the German bombing offensive against Britain in 1940 and 1941?

3. What are Ollie’s motivations to disregard US neutrality and attempt to join the Royal Air Force? If Ollie’s parents had not been killed in a car accident, do you think he would have embarked on a quest to join the fight? How does his encounter with an air marshal for the Royal Canadian Air Force, as well as being robbed in a train station, influence his decision to defer college and travel to Britain?

4. Describe Susan. What kind of woman is she? When Susan attends the Source Columba meeting in London, she is the only woman in the group. Describe Susan’s courage, compared to other members of the National Pigeon Service, in confronting a senior military officer on the mission’s errors. What is meant by the affirmation Be an egg? Describe her relationship with her grandfather, Bertie. What role does Bertie play in shaping Susan’s values and beliefs?

5. While working to prepare pigeons for the mission, Susan and Ollie fall in love. What brings them together? Why does their relationship develop so quickly? At what point do you think Susan realized she loved Ollie? How is the war, particularly the nightly Luftwaffe bombings, a catalyst for their affection? What are Susan and Ollie’s hopes and dreams?

6. Duchess is Susan’s loyal and devoted pet. What characteristics make her unique? Although Duchess is not trained to fly back and forth, she delivers messages between Susan and Ollie. Why do you think she’s able to make the flights over the English Channel?

7. Describe Flight Lieutenant Clyde Boar. Why does Boar dislike Ollie? Does he have any redeeming qualities? When Boar intercepts Duchess, carrying Susan’s message to Ollie, he’s in a rage after learning that he’s lost an eye and will never fly again. If Boar would have known the tragic outcome of deceiving Ollie and Susan, do you think he would have acted differently?

8. What are the major themes of The Long Flight Home?

9. Why do many readers enjoy historical fiction, in particular novels set in World War II? To what degree do you think Hlad took creative liberties with this story?