1. Discuss the importance of nature as a redemptive force in The Snow Falcon. How does this differ from the portrayal of nature in books like The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger or Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer?

2. How does the author compare and contrast physical pain with emotional pain? How are these different kinds of pain conveyed through Ellis’ character?

3. In The Snow Falcon, Michael Somers, a man with a checkered past, forsakes the anonymity of the big city for the prejudices of a small rural town. Why does he do this? How does the author use Somers decision to portray one’s personal roots as both important and inescapable?

4. Discuss the theme of alienation as it pertains to Michael Somers’ character in The Snow Falcon. Are the townspeople justified in their feelings toward Somers? Who is responsible for or capable of reestablishing trust once it has been broken?

5. How does Harrison treat the responsibility owed by one generation to the next? How is this reflected in Somers’ problematic relationship with his own parents and the very troubling history with his wife and daughter?

6. All the characters in The Snow Falcon are somehow scarred from past experiences. Through the falcon, and by empathizing with one another’s torment, each starts down the path to salvation. To what extent is the bird merely a focal point for their energies? To what extent is it innately capable of healing their psychological wounds?

7. How is love treated in the novel? Is the possessive/obsessive love sometimes felt by Somers and the other characters real love? Is it really directed toward another person, or is it a kind of self-love?

8. How do the characters develop throughout the novel? How do they grow personally?