51 pages • 1 hour read
Paul HardingThis Other Eden
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of racism.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. How does this novel rank against your favorite historical novels? Do you think it uses its historical focus in an interesting way? What do you think about Harding’s decision to fictionalize some of the details around the historical Malaga Island?
2. What are some of the narrative and thematic elements that this novel shares with Harding’s first novel, Tinkers? How would you characterize Harding’s style and preoccupations as a writer? If you have not read Tinkers, are you interested in doing so now?
3. The novel looks at a part of history that may have been obscured to erase the dehumanization of marginalized people. Discuss your awareness of the historical Malaga Island on which Apple Island was based. How much did you know about Malaga Island before reading this novel? Do you feel this is a part of history more people should know about?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. What do you believe is the state’s role in fostering communities? Do you think they have a duty to eliminate or tamp down elements that they see as “degenerative”? Think of other ways this term has been used in a public 
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