Book Clubs

In a book club? I would love it if you would consider 'Before He Was Red' for your next book club discussion group. I can assure you that the novel will spark plenty of animated conversation, as well as encouraging personal stories. Scroll down to find book club questions for discussion, or download the enhanced discussion guide with maps, historical background, discussion questions and an interview with me.

Here are a few ideas to make the evening special:

  • Themed Book Club Night: Serve Ottoman-inspired food and drinks, such as Turkish coffee and baklava.
  • Soundtrack & Playlist: Create a curated playlist featuring Ottoman court music, traditional Turkish folk songs, and orchestral scores.
  • Casting Exercise: Have each book club member ‘cast’ actors for a potential adaptation of the book.
  • Historical Fact vs. Fiction: Assign members different real historical characters from the novel and discuss how their real lives compare to their fictional counterparts.

Please share your experiences with me on social media!

DOWNLOAD THE FREE BOOK CLUB KIT

Group Discussion Questions

QUICK START

  1. What was your favourite part of the book?
  2. What was your least favourite?
  3. The Ottoman Empire is often portrayed in Western stories as exotic, mysterious, or ruled by excess and intrigue. Before He Was Red presents a more nuanced perspective. Did the novel challenge or change any assumptions you may have had about this time and place?
  4. The book blends historical fact with fictional elements. Were there moments where you questioned what was real?
  5. What surprised you most about the book?
  6. If Before He Was Red were adapted into a film or television series, who would you cast in the major roles?

HISTORICAL & POLITICAL CONTEXT

  1. How does the novel portray the tension between tradition and modernisation in the Ottoman Empire? Do you think this struggle was inevitable, or could different choices have been made?
  2. What role does religion play in shaping both the characters’ lives and the empire’s politics? Does the novel suggest that religious belief is a stabilising force, a tool of control, or something else entirely?
  3. Empires do not simply collapse; they shift, erode, or transform, shaped by choices made—or avoided. Murad and Hamid inherit the burdens of an empire, but they react in different ways. Do you think empires are inevitably doomed to decline, or could the Ottoman Empire have survived with different leadership?
  4. The novel suggests that history is shaped as much by personal decisions as by major political events. Which character’s choices had the greatest impact?
  5. Power rarely disappears overnight; it erodes gradually through decisions, alliances, and the failure to adapt. Do you think the greatest threat to the empire comes from external forces or internal fractures?
  6. There is no single truth in history—only perspectives. How does this shape your understanding of the characters and the historical moment they inhabit?

THEMES & MOTIVES

  1. Both Flora and Hamid live in hierarchical societies. By the end of the novel, they make very different choices—one stays, the other leaves. What does this contrast suggest about the relationship between power and betrayal?
  2. The novel explores different forms of confinement—physical, emotional, and societal. How do the characters experience or attempt to escape their own ‘cages’?
  3. Each character grapples with their own definition of freedom. Do you believe freedom is objective—a fixed state—or is it entirely subjective?
  4. In both the Ottoman palace and the European circles Flora moves through, men hold the official positions of power that shape the lives of women. Do you think the restrictions placed on women in these two worlds are more similar than they first appear?
  5. The novel presents different experiences of motherhood—some women long for children they cannot have, while others become mothers without wanting to be. How does the novel challenge traditional ideas about what it means to be a mother?
  6. Women’s choices regarding their bodies often come with consequences that men do not face. How does the novel explore the tension between passion and survival?
  7. What does Before He Was Red suggest about fate versus free will? Do the characters have control over their destinies?
  8. History often leaves behind only scraps—names in documents, fleeting mentions in letters, rumours in the margins of official records. Before He Was Red imagines lives beyond the fragments that remain. Does filling in the gaps between a few known facts bring us closer to the truth, or does it risk distorting it?
  9. The novel suggests that history is not simply something we leave behind—it lingers, resurfaces, and sometimes traps us in cycles we do not see. Do you think it is possible to break free from the past, or does it always find a way to define us?

CHARACTER JOURNEYS & RELATIONSHIPS

  1. Hamid struggles between duty and personal desire. Is he truly seeking freedom, or is he searching for meaning in a life already decided for him?
  2. Flora shapes herself to fit the expectations of others—adapting as she must, yet never fully belonging. At the same time, she often makes bold, even reckless choices—defying social expectations and ultimately deciding to leave Istanbul. Which path grants her power and agency, and which is a form of subjugation?
  3. How does Hamid’s bond with Murad reflect the complexities of brotherhood, rivalry, and political responsibility?
  4. Who is the most morally complex character in the novel, and why?
  5. Which character undergoes the most significant change over the course of the novel?
  6. Reshid’s relationship with Peresto is complex—part admiration, part obsession. Does his fascination with her stem from love, power, or something else?
  7. Peresto is a master strategist, using her intelligence and influence to navigate a world controlled by men. Do you think she is motivated by genuine care for Hamid, or is he simply a pawn in her greater plan?
  8. Reshid is a man caught between shifting tides, serving different masters and adapting to changing circumstances. Do you think this makes him a pragmatic survivor or untrustworthy?
  9. Reshid claims that he can "think like them, eat like them, live like them," yet he maintains a distance from all groups. Does this make him the novel’s most objective observer, or is he ultimately the most unreliable?

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE & WRITING STYLE

  1. The novel shifts perspectives between multiple characters. How does this enhance or complicate the storytelling? Were there any perspectives that you found particularly compelling or challenging?
  2. The pacing of the novel moves between tense political intrigue and deeply personal moments. Which parts did you find the most compelling?
  3. The novel is deeply immersive in sensory details—from the underground tunnels to the riotous crowds of Istanbul. Did any scenes stand out for their descriptive intensity, and how did this impact your engagement with the story?If you could ask the author one question about the book, what would it be?