This discussion guide is designed for readers who want to go deeper into the themes, characters, and moral questions raised in A Guardian and a Thief. It is ideal for book clubs, classrooms, and reading groups exploring climate fiction, contemporary literary fiction, migration, and ethics.

Use these questions inside your book club on Bookum, a social book club and book networking app where readers can host discussions, share annotations, and connect with others reading the same book.

1 - What does the title A Guardian and a Thief mean to you after finishing the book? Who do you think the title refers to, and does that change over time?

2 - In what ways does the novel challenge the idea that morality is fixed or absolute, especially during times of crisis?

3 - Ma steals food from the shelter to protect her family. Boomba steals from Ma to protect his family. How does the book ask us to judge these actions?

4 - How does climate disaster function as more than just a backdrop in the story? In what ways does it actively shape the characters’ choices?

5 - The house is both a sanctuary and a source of violence. What does the house symbolize in the novel?

6 - Food appears constantly throughout the book, especially Mishti’s desire for cauliflower. What does food represent beyond hunger?

7 - How does the author portray privilege in the story? In what ways are Ma and her family both vulnerable and protected?

8 - Do you see Ma and Boomba as mirrors of each other? Where do their paths overlap, and where do they fundamentally diverge?

9 - How does the novel complicate the idea of who deserves safety, shelter, or escape?

10 - Dadu represents memory, humor, and nostalgia for the city. What role does he play in grounding the story emotionally?

11 - How does the fragmented structure of the novel affect your reading experience? Did it heighten tension or emotional impact for you?

12 - The billionaire’s charity feast is meant to help the poor, yet it descends into chaos. What is the author saying about philanthropy and spectacle?

13 - How does the book portray migration and climate visas? Did the promise of America feel hopeful, hollow, or both?

14 - Mishti is too young to understand what is happening, yet she experiences deep trauma. How does the novel use childhood to explore innocence and harm?

15 - When Boomba takes Mishti to the feast, do you see his actions as protective, exploitative, or something more complicated?

16 - Violence escalates as resources disappear. At what point did you feel the story crossed from desperation into inevitability?

17 - How does grief shape Ma’s decisions after Dadu’s death? Did her actions feel understandable, or did they surprise you?

18 - The police and government systems in the novel are largely ineffective. What does the book suggest about institutions during large scale crises?

19 - The ending refuses to offer closure or redemption. How did that make you feel as a reader?

20 - Do you think the novel is ultimately pessimistic or realistic about the future?

21 - How does the book redefine the idea of guardianship? Who is truly guarding whom by the end?

22 - What does the novel suggest about ownership, especially ownership of land, homes, and documents like passports?

23 - If this story were set in a different city or country, do you think the moral questions would change?

24 - After reading this book, has it changed how you think about climate crisis, migration, or survival in your own life?

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