Nettle & Bone

Using the text as a guide, how does Kingfisher critique the societal treatment of women? Does Marra’s journey offer solutions to any concrete issues, or new ways of understanding gender?

What purpose does the nonlinear timeline serve, and why did Kingfisher choose to present the story in this manner? How would the story differ with a linear timeline?

Choose a supporting character and discuss how that character could be the primary character if the story were told from their perspective. How would the novel’s themes change or become complicated if this character were the hero?

Kingfisher’s use of imagery permeates the text. How do the images presented contribute to the text’s entrenchment in fairy tales and convey the mood of the novel?

What role does gender play in the Harbor Kingdom’s struggle for autonomy? How do the struggles of the men differ from those of the women?

What role do fairy tale tropes play in Nettle & Bone? What arguments does Kingfisher make about fairy tales and heroes as they relate to gender and the Hero’s Journey?

Discuss Kingfisher’s use of Bonedog, the demon hen, and Finder in the novel. How do the animals support their companion characters, both literally and figuratively?

Focusing on one character in Marra’s party, discuss the impact of the conflict between a desire to stay safe and a desire to save others. How does that character cope with danger and force themselves to act in the face of it while displaying grit?