'When We Were Romans' by Matthew Kneale - Book Club Discussion Questions

When We Were Romans by Matthew Kneale is a short, but powerful novel told from the perspective of a nine-year-old boy named Lawrence. Use these book club discussion questions on 'When We Were Romans' to lead your book club into Kneale's book.

Spoiler Alert: These book club discussion questions reveal important details about When We Were Romans by Matthew Kneale. Finish the book before reading on.

1. When did you begin to suspect that Hannah might not be in touch with reality? Do you think her friends in Rome understood the reality of her situation?

2. Do you think Lawrence and Jemima had a normal brother/sister relationship? How did they look out for each other?

3. What does Lawrence's way of talking about emperors and outer space tell you about his view of the world?

4. What are the ways in which Lawrence is mature beyond his age? In what ways does he still think and act like a child?

5. Discuss the trip to Scotland. What did you think was going to happen? Why do you think Lawrence took matters into his own hands?

6. Do you think Kneale wrote a convincing child narrator?

7. Do you have hope for Lawrence and his family?

8. Rate When We Were Romans on a scale of 1 to 5.