Red Weather is rich with poignant situations and hilarious scenes that are ripe for discussion, from narrator Yuri Balodis’s desperate attempts to fit in with his American peers and his constant mortification at the actions of his émigré parents (especially those of his father, Rudolfi), to his quasi-romance with the beguiling socialist Hannah Graham and his confusing attraction to his Latvian cousin, Eriks. The immigrant’s experience in America, the angst and bewilderment of adolescence, what it means to be a patriot, the power of family, the meaning of sacrifice, the relationship between fathers and sons–these are all great themes for conversation, and this guide is designed to help direct your reading group’s dialogue about Pauls Toutonghi’s wry, sweet, and unforgettable first novel.