Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- We never find out whether Peekay goes on to fulfill his dream of becoming welterweight champion of the world. Do you think he does? Why or why not?
- Do you have a place like Inkosi-Inkosikazi's waterfalls where you can go in your mind when you're in trouble? Why do you think that it's important for Peekay to be able to comfort himself in this way?
- The novel is all about the power of one, the power of the individual to overcome obstacles. But all of Peekay's obstacles are overcome through the sacrifice of his friends. Is this a contradiction or is there a way to depend on others and still be a powerful individual?
- Why do you think the book is divided into three parts, and why is the last one so short?
- How would this story be different if Peekay were fifteen, or twenty-one, or fifty when it begins? What is it about childhood that is important to the novel?
- Courtenay spends a lot of time narrating blow-by-blow descriptions of Peekay's fights. Is this just good, old-fashioned fun, or do these scenes add something to the novel it wouldn't have without them?
- Race, and racism, is one of the book's central themes, and Peekay is very critical of racism. What are the moments where he lets on that racism is such a big part of his society that he doesn't even recognize it? What does this mean for our feelings about Peekay?
- Peekay thinks that the world is divided between winners and losers, and he's determined to be a winner. What do you think about that idea? Is it so black-and-white? Are there any characters that are neither losers nor winners, or are both?
- Music is not all that important to Peekay, but it is his ticket to spending time with Doc and a cover for boxing practice. How do music and boxing both contribute to his development? Would he have turned out different if he were only a musician or only a boxer?
- When Peekay faces Gideon in a boxing match, he realizes that he was the reason Gideon went without a mother, because Nanny was at Peekay's house, taking care of him. Is every good thing we have the result of taking it away from someone else, even indirectly?