What does the novel have to say about the concept of fate and destiny? Are we bound by our destinies, or do we have freedom of choice? In the cases of Onye and Mwita, are they choosing to fulfill their destinies, or do their destinies require them to follow these paths?

Research the War in Darfur. In what ways does the novel mirror the events of the war? What parallels do you see throughout the novel? What differences?

What does the novel have to say about the concept of pacifism? Does the novel suggest that pacifism is useful? Does it reject pacifism? Does it make a claim somewhere in between?