Afterlives

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of mental illness and physical abuse.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What surprised you most about the scope and structure of Afterlives? Gurnah weaves together multiple character arcs across decades of colonial history, jumping between perspectives and time periods. Did this approach enhance your understanding of the era or make the narrative challenging to follow?

2. Gurnah’s previous novel Paradise also explores colonial Tanzania in the early 20th century. If you’ve read Paradise or other works by Gurnah, how does Afterlives compare in its treatment of colonialism and personal relationships?

3. The title, Afterlives, suggests renewal and second chances rather than literal life after death. How effectively does this concept tie together the various character journeys throughout the novel?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Multiple characters must adapt their skills and identities to survive under colonial rule. Have you ever had to significantly reinvent yourself or adapt to circumstances beyond your control?

2. Khalifa becomes a father figure to both Afiya and Hamza despite having no biological children. What experiences have you had with chosen family or mentors who stepped into parental roles when you needed guidance?

3. Characters throughout the novel struggle with the effects of trauma in forms including nightmares, mysterious voices, and difficulty trusting others. Have emotionally intense experiences ever left lasting traces in your life or in the life of someone you care for?

4. Afiya defies social expectations by pursuing Hamza rather than waiting to be chosen in marriage. Think about times when you’ve had to choose between following your heart and conforming to expectations—what factors influenced your decision?

5. Education and literacy become sources of opportunity for characters like Afiya and Hamza, yet also create danger when Afiya’s uncle beats her for learning to write. How has your own education shaped your life path and relationships?

6. The search for the missing Ilyas spans decades and involves multiple family members trying to piece together his fate. Have you ever been involved in trying to trace family history or locate missing relatives?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Gurnah presents colonialism not just as political domination but as a system forcing individuals into impossible choices about loyalty and survival. How are similar dynamics found in contemporary situations where people must navigate between different cultural or political allegiances?

2. Global conflicts like World War I devastate local Tanzanian communities that had no role in starting them. What parallels do you see between the experiences of civilians in the novel and populations affected by modern warfare?

3. Women’s autonomy in the novel remains severely restricted, yet characters like Afiya and Asha find ways to exercise agency within these constraints. How do these historical limitations compare to ongoing struggles for women’s rights in various parts of the world today?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What role does the natural world play in reflecting the characters’ emotional states? Consider Hamza’s encounters with rough seas, sounds of predators in the jungle, and feral cats during his most vulnerable moments.

2. Gurnah structures the novel around multiple generations and shifting perspectives rather than following a single protagonist. How does this approach serve the novel’s exploration of colonialism’s long-term effects on families and communities?

3. The motif of “unspoken similarities” connects characters who share experiences of loss, displacement, and yearning. Which character relationships best illustrate how shared trauma can create understanding rather than division?

4. Misunderstandings between characters often stem from assumptions based on appearance, class, or ethnicity. How does Gurnah use these miscommunications to reveal deeper truths about prejudice and human connection?

5. The younger Ilyas’s mysterious voices and the exorcism ritual introduce supernatural elements into an otherwise realistic narrative. What purpose do these episodes serve in the novel’s exploration of historical trauma and family memory?

6. Names carry significant weight throughout the novel, from Hamza reminding the German lieutenant of his dead brother to the younger Ilyas being named for his missing uncle. How does Gurnah use naming and identity to explore themes of memory and legacy?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Design a museum exhibit about colonial Tanzania using objects and documents that appear in the novel. Which items would you select to represent the experiences of ordinary people like Khalifa, Asha, and Hamza?

2. The novel ends with the younger Ilyas discovering his uncle’s fate in Nazi Germany through archival research. Imagine you’re helping him create a documentary about this discovery. What interviews and locations would you include to tell the complete story?

3. Several characters become skilled craftspeople, from Nassor’s woodworking to Afiya’s seamstressing. If you could apprentice with one of the characters to learn their trade, whom would you choose and what questions would you ask about their techniques and experiences?

Need more conversation starters? Inspire your group with our Discussion Questions tool.