Book Club Guide
1) In spite of Mariana's ostracism from British society in Calcutta, she still hopes to marry an Englishman. What is it about the British community that Mariana values? Why does she still want to belong, even after being so badly treated?
2) The characters in A Beggar at the Gate see Mariana from many different perspectives. For example, her servant Dittoo and the albino courier Ghulam Ali disagree about her after the accident on the steamer, and Charles Mott and his aunt Lady Macnaghten differ from Aunt Claire in their view of her. Do any of the characters truly understand Mariana?
3) Do you find it surprising that Mariana was welcomed into Shaikh Waliullah's family? Why do you think his family was so accepting? How do you think a British family would have greeted a native bride? How does the Shaikh’s family expect her to behave?
4) There is a big difference between the outward freedom of English life in India and the confinement of life in the Shaikh's walled-city house. What are the real differences between those two ways of living?
5) What is it about Shaikh Waliiullah's house and family that attracts Mariana? If you were Mariana, would you have considered staying at Qamar Haveli?
6) Safiya Sultana is a key figure in the story. What do you think of her? Do you think other walled-city households are like hers? Do you think she understands Mariana?
7) The British, who now occupy Afghanistan, need to supply their army from British India. They would like to have access to Afghanistan across the Punjab (see the map on the Historical Note Page), but they are struggling because of political infighting in that country. If you were the British, what would you do in that situation?
8) Mariana's story is a fast-paced adventure, full of intrigue and danger, but has she also embarked upon a spiritual journey? If so, at what point in the story did her journey begin?
9) During her stay at Qamar Haveli, Mariana learns many lessons. What is the greatest lesson she learns? Who teaches her this lesson?
