'Behind the Beautiful Forevers' by Katherine Boo

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo is a nonfiction narrative about the lives of people living in a slum in Mumbai. Use these book club discussion questions to delve deeper into their stories and the issues Boo raises.

Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions contain important details about Behind the Beautiful Forevers. Finish the book before reading on.

1. Which of the people in Annawadi were you drawn to the most? Why did you find that particular story so compelling?
2. What did you think of Asha's choices to help or not help some neighbors and to defraud nonprofits?
3. What did Abdul's plight reveal about life in Mumbai? Was it a good choice as a frame for the narrative?
4. What was the most surprising thing you read in Behind the Beautiful Forevers?
5. In her author's note, Boo says, "there are more poor people than rich people in the world's Mumbais. Why don't places like Airport Road, with their cheek-by-jowl slums and luxury hotels, look like the insurrectionist video game Metal Slug 3? Why don't more of our unequal societies implode?" After reading the narrative, how would you respond to this question?
6. Rate Behind the Beautiful Forevers on a scale of 1 to 5.