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Table of Contents
About The Book
Alentejo Blue is the story of a village community in Portugal, told through the lives of men and women whose families have lived there for generations and some who are passing through. For Teresa, a beautiful girl not yet twenty, Mamarrosa is a place from which to escape. For the dysfunctional Potts family, it is a way of running from trouble (though not eluding it). Vasco, a café owner who has never recovered from the death of his American wife, clings to a notion that his years away from the village, in the States, make him superior. One English tourist fantasizes about making a new life in Mamarrosa; for her compatriots, a young engaged couple, Mamarrosa is where their dreams fall apart.
At the opening of Alentejo Blue, an old man reflects on his long and troubled life in this seemingly tranquil place, and anticipates the homecoming of Marco Afonso Rodrigues, the prodigal son of the village and a symbol of the now fast-changing world. When Marco does finally return, villagers, tourists, and expatriates are brought together, and their jealousies and disappointments inevitably collide.
At the opening of Alentejo Blue, an old man reflects on his long and troubled life in this seemingly tranquil place, and anticipates the homecoming of Marco Afonso Rodrigues, the prodigal son of the village and a symbol of the now fast-changing world. When Marco does finally return, villagers, tourists, and expatriates are brought together, and their jealousies and disappointments inevitably collide.
Reading Group Guide
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Questions for Discussion:
1. The stories in Alentejo Blue are linked by location and characters. Which story did you find the most compelling and why?
2. Vasco has one of the most consistent presences throughout the book: his story is told either through his own voice or by those who visit his café. Discuss him and how he and his café set a framework for the book.
3. In the book an "expatriot" is described as someone who has exiled oneself, or separated oneself from their fatherland. Which characters do you consider to be expatriots? Discuss the writer Stanton and the Potts family. Discuss Theresa and her impending move to London and her separation from her homeland.
4. Monica Ali demystifies and demythologizes Portugal in this book. Once known as the country that spearheaded the exploration of the world and undertook the Age of Discovery, Portugal's cultural influences include Roman, Spanish, Celtic, and Moorish influences, which provide it with its rich cultural heritage. Yet, Ali depicts Mamarossa as a tough and hardscrabble town, hardly inviting for tourists. Discuss the couple - The Mowatts - who are on holiday in Mamarossa. How does their experience make you view Portugal.
5. Throughout the book there is an undercurrent of immorality-from the petty thievery of Ruby Potts to the adulterous affair of Stanton and Chrissie Potts to the small lies that the characters tell each other. What other indiscretions are revealed? Discuss how these indiscretions set the tone for the book.
6. One of the most interesting relationships in Alentejo Blue is the friendship that Stanton shares with Ray Potts. Why does Stanton allow Ray to loiter and what do you think attracts the boy to Stanton?
7. Describe the relationship of the Potts family to the other characters in the book. Why do you think the Potts's play such a central role in Alentejo Blue?
8. Discuss the significance of sex and sexuality in Alentejo Blue. How does the unromantic and stark portrait of sex and sexuality relate to the book's main themes, particularly that of belonging?
9. Who, if anyone, do you feel is the central or anchoring presence in Alentejo Blue?
10. The last story takes place in Vasco's café and envelops the entire community. What is the importance of ending the book with this story? Discuss community as it relates to your own life and neighborhood.
11. How does Alentejo Blue compare to Ali's first novel Brick Lane? What themes do they have in common?
ENHANCING YOUR BOOK CLUB
1. Visit Portugal's website to learn more about the country and its history: http://www.portugal.org/index.shtml
2. Learn more about Monica Ali on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Ali
Want to read more on travel and self-discovery through travel?
A Short Trip in the Alentejo by Robert and Mary Wilson
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mays
Andorra, a Novel by Peter Cameron
Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
1. The stories in Alentejo Blue are linked by location and characters. Which story did you find the most compelling and why?
2. Vasco has one of the most consistent presences throughout the book: his story is told either through his own voice or by those who visit his café. Discuss him and how he and his café set a framework for the book.
3. In the book an "expatriot" is described as someone who has exiled oneself, or separated oneself from their fatherland. Which characters do you consider to be expatriots? Discuss the writer Stanton and the Potts family. Discuss Theresa and her impending move to London and her separation from her homeland.
4. Monica Ali demystifies and demythologizes Portugal in this book. Once known as the country that spearheaded the exploration of the world and undertook the Age of Discovery, Portugal's cultural influences include Roman, Spanish, Celtic, and Moorish influences, which provide it with its rich cultural heritage. Yet, Ali depicts Mamarossa as a tough and hardscrabble town, hardly inviting for tourists. Discuss the couple - The Mowatts - who are on holiday in Mamarossa. How does their experience make you view Portugal.
5. Throughout the book there is an undercurrent of immorality-from the petty thievery of Ruby Potts to the adulterous affair of Stanton and Chrissie Potts to the small lies that the characters tell each other. What other indiscretions are revealed? Discuss how these indiscretions set the tone for the book.
6. One of the most interesting relationships in Alentejo Blue is the friendship that Stanton shares with Ray Potts. Why does Stanton allow Ray to loiter and what do you think attracts the boy to Stanton?
7. Describe the relationship of the Potts family to the other characters in the book. Why do you think the Potts's play such a central role in Alentejo Blue?
8. Discuss the significance of sex and sexuality in Alentejo Blue. How does the unromantic and stark portrait of sex and sexuality relate to the book's main themes, particularly that of belonging?
9. Who, if anyone, do you feel is the central or anchoring presence in Alentejo Blue?
10. The last story takes place in Vasco's café and envelops the entire community. What is the importance of ending the book with this story? Discuss community as it relates to your own life and neighborhood.
11. How does Alentejo Blue compare to Ali's first novel Brick Lane? What themes do they have in common?
ENHANCING YOUR BOOK CLUB
1. Visit Portugal's website to learn more about the country and its history: http://www.portugal.org/index.shtml
2. Learn more about Monica Ali on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Ali
Want to read more on travel and self-discovery through travel?
A Short Trip in the Alentejo by Robert and Mary Wilson
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mays
Andorra, a Novel by Peter Cameron
Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
About The Author
Photograph by Yolande De Vries
Monica Ali was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and grew up in England. She was named one of the 20 best young British novelists under 40 by Granta. She is the author of four previous novels, including Untold Story and Brick Lane, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Guardian Book Prize, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was named a winner of the 2003 Discover Award for Fiction and a New York Times Editors’ Choice Book that same year. She lives in London with her husband and two children.
Product Details
- Publisher: Scribner (June 20, 2006)
- Length: 240 pages
- ISBN13: 9781416534198
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Raves and Reviews
"The beauty of Ali's writing gives her a starring role in this literary generation." -- USA Today
"This stunningly crafted fiction will knock you off your feet." -- O, The Oprah Magazine
"With its supple prose and acute insights...Alentejo Blue establishes definitively that Monica Ali is a major literary talent." -- Entertainment Weekly
"The prodigiously gifted Monica Ali demonstrates her ability and hints at the breadth and variety of her interests." -- The New York Times
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Alentejo Blue eBook 9781416534198
- Author Photo (jpg): Monica Ali Photograph by Yolande De Vries(0.1 MB)
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