THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD Discussion Questions
1. Overall, what did you think of the novel? What adjectives would you use to describe The Madonnas of Leningrad? Would you recommend it to a friend?
2. Memory is a key theme of this novel. As a young woman, remembering the missing paintings is a deliberate act of survival and homage for Marina. In old age, however, she can no longer control what she remembers or forgets. How does Dean use the vagaries of Marina's memory to structure the novel? How does the narrative itself mimic the ways in which memory functions?
3. The narrative is interspersed with chapters describing a room or a painting in the Hermitage. Who is describing these paintings and what is the significance of the chosen paintings? How is each interlude connected to the chapter that follows?
4. What did you learn about the Siege of Leningrad? How is this view of WWII different from or similar to other accounts that you have read?
5. What are some of the miracles that occur in book? How do religion and miracles figure in this novel? Who are the Madonnas of Leningrad? What roles do they play? Is Marina one of them?
6. Discuss Marina's faith. Although Marina says she is not a "believer," in what ways is she spiritual?
7. A central mystery revolves around Andrei's conception. What do you think actually happened? Is it a flaw or strength of the novel that the author doesn't resolve this question?
8. How well do we ever know our parents? Are there secrets you've learned about your parents' past that helped you feel you knew them better?
9. Discuss the character of Helen. She is struggling with disappointment and regret often associated with middle-age. Did you feel a connection to her? Why or why not?
10. Towards the end, as Marina’s memory deteriorates, the time frame and point of view become less clear to the reader. Did you find yourself becoming confused and muddled in the storytelling?
11. In a sense, the novel has two separate but parallel endings: the young Marina giving the cadets a tour of the museum, and the elderly Marina giving the carpenter a tour of an unfinished house. What is the function of this coda? How would the novel be different if it ended with the cadets' tour?