NM: I don’t think a writer can, or should, ever set out to write a universal story. I do think that I was at a point as a writer where I felt ready, in terms of my understanding of the art and craft of fiction, the architecture of the novel, to write a book with the scope of The Perfect Man—many characters, interweaving plot lines, large group scenes, and so on. But that wasn’t the reason to write this. The reason was Annie, with her one bare foot and Romanesque face, Lewis, with his doomed innocence, Ruth’s angry regret, Raj’s extreme sensitivity and elusive humor, Nora’s bravery. In the end, as I said before, it always comes down to the individual, to character. The only way a work of fiction can become universal is if the writer focuses single-mindedly on particular characters in their very specific circumstances. For me, as I think for all pure fiction writers, the magic and power of fiction is in its central paradox: By telling, as objectively, honestly, specifically, and skillfully as you can the story of one person, you tell, at some level, the story of us all.

QUESTIONS AND TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

QUESTIONS AND TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

1. As a schoolboy in England, and then as a young newcomer to a strange new town in America, how does Rajiv Travers deflect people’s prejudice against his dark skin and unfamiliar accent? What talents does he draw on to establish himself in Pisgah, Missouri?

2. Ruth Winters is originally reluctant to have Raj stay with her. Why does she agree to take the boy in? What motivates her to write such hateful things about him in her journals? How does their relationship evolve over time, and what do they gain from each other?

3. There are many stories of courtship in the novel, including those of Annie and Lewis, Nora and Raj, Annie’s mother and father, Lewis’s downtrodden father and his young orphan train bride, and Ruth and Oliver. What draws these people together? Which relationships are the healthiest and which are the least healthy?

4. How would you describe the dynamics between males and females in the world that Naeem Murr has depicted?

5. There are two tightly knit groups in Pisgah: Raj’s circle of childhood friends and Bennet’s group of grown men. When you compare these two groups, what differences do you find? In each group, who is the leader, what gives that person his or her power, and what roles do the other individuals play?

6. The mysterious death of Lewis’s autistic little brother, Roh, back in 1952 is a profoundly disturbing event with long-lasting repercussions. Which characters in the novel are most significantly shaped by this dark event? Who is ultimately culpable for the boy’s untimely demise? Are the same people responsible for what happens to Lewis?