Bookclub-in-a-Box Discusses the Cat's Table, by Michael Ondaatje

In the early 1950s, an 11-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship bound for England. At mealtimes he is seated at the "cat's table"as far from the Captain's Table as can bewith a ragtag group of "insignificant" adults and two other boys. As the narrative moves between the decks and holds of the ship and in and out of the boy's adult years, it tells a spellbinding storyby turns poignant and electrifyingabout the magical, often forbidden discoveries of childhood and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage. Michael Ondaatje is a master storyteller and uses symbols and imagery in a most unusual way. The Bookclub-in-a-Box guide for Michael Ondaatje's book will spark discussion around the following topics: Is this novel a memoir or a work of fiction? Are youthful experiences simply adventures? How do they impact the adults we become? Immigration involves changing countries, new languages, different cultural traditions, and...