Forest Gate

Reading Group Guide

Set in the slums of contemporary London, Forest Gate chronicles the lives of the dual
narrators—James and Armeina—in the wake of a double suicide attempt which James
survives but Ashvin, Armeina’s brother, does not. Through the heart-wrenchingly human
voices of Armeina and James, we learn about the extraordinarily sad family history of
both narrators. Armeina, called Meina, was forced to flee Somalia with her brother
Ashvin after the two witnessed the brutal murder of their intellectual parents by Ethiopian
soldiers. Meina and Ashvin, with the help of their white benefactor Mr. Bloom, move to
the ‘estates’ of London where they meet James, the youngest of six warlord and drug
dealing brothers and the son of a crack-addicted mother. James and Meina are brought
together by the tragedy of Ashvin’s death and James’ survival and fall in love in the
shadow of their shared sorrow. Poignant and breathtaking, tragic and captivating, Forest
Gate takes the reader on a journey that reminds all of us of the fragility of human life and
the possibility of hope in spite of unmistakable tragedy and loss.

Discussion Questions

1. The novel opens with a double suicide attempt that is only halfway successful.
Meina, as the narrator, describes the two boys preparing to die: “They were quiet
as they emptied their minds, as they tried to forget life, to blend with their frail
place in the universe” (15). Discuss each of the boy’s reasons for wanting to die.
What would have happened if Ash lived instead of James? What if both boys
died?

2. In many ways Ashvin and Meina’s parents stand as a symbol of progress in the
novel. They are educated, successful, political and modern. Meina is given the
choice, for example, whether she would like to be circumcised or not (57). What
are other examples of the parent’s open-mindedness? How do the parents help
shape the lives of Ash and Meina even after their death?

3. Consider for a moment the structure of the story. What effect does the variety of
narrators have on the story overall? Meina begins and ends the story, and is, by
far, the most popular narrator employed by the author. To what extent does the
story become Meina’s? Why do you think the author made use of a fractured
structure with several narrators? Is it successful?

4. A theme of the novel emerges on page 22 when Meina muses, “life is ultimately
what you carry around in your heart.” Do you think it was worthwhile for Ashvin
and Meina to leave their country for London? Consider the question from both
Ashvin and Meina’s positions. How did James carry the burdens in his heart?
How did Mr. Bloom? Was any character more successful at ‘carrying’ than the
others? How so and to what extent?

5. Revisit the brutal fight scene between Ashvin and Nalma, starting on page 116.
Easily one of the more difficult pieces to read, this scene is also a very important
moment to the novel as a whole. We as readers at last have some insight into the
extremely sad and complex feelings Ashvin has been coping with since he
witnessed the brutal murder of his parents. James captures well what we feel as
readers when he says “I couldn’t understand why Ash was crying” (118). Discuss
the ways in which this scene is important to the novel and especially to the
character of Ashvin. Do you believe Ashvin’s actions were meant to be cathartic,
vengeful or both?

6. On page 54, Meina says she does not have any ideas of her own that are “strong
enough to want to die over.” Is this what makes Meina different from her brother?
What are other differences between the siblings? Are their differences due more
to circumstance or fundamental differences in their personalities?

7. At the onset of the story, Meina explains that she was named after the river
Armeina that “glistened and was never disturbed” (7), according to her Mother.
But Meina does not share the peaceful existence of the river and therefore prefers
her nickname. In comparison, James’ six brothers are referred to throughout the
story by numbers rather than names, and #5’s suicide letter at the end of the novel
is the first place where their birth names are listed. Consider what a name means
to the characters in Forest Gate. Do the use of numbers symbolize that James’
brothers seem somehow sub-human? Why do you think the author used this
technique of numbers instead of names? Why are the numbers out of
chronological order? How does the use of numbers compare to Meina’s given
name?

8. Why do you think Meina asks James to live with her? Do you think it was her
only option? Do you think Meina is in need of James or do you think James is in
need of Meina? To what extent do the characters depend on one another?

9. Depression and mental illness factor heavily into the novel. Ashvin is diagnosed
as bipolar after his death and #5 goes on his shooting rampage as a result of not
taking his medication. Do you think it is significant that these characters suffered
from mental illness? What do you think the author may be saying about the stress
of living in Forest Gate? Does the mental illness of Ashvin and #5 present a
binary of guilt versus innocence?

10. Can you find any symbolism in the title Forest Gate? How does the image of
enclosed wilderness help determine the parameters of the story? How would you
have titled the novel?

11. African American writers such as James Baldwin, Langston Hughes and Richard
Wright are heavily referenced in Forest Gate. Ashvin and his father in particular
often recited the poetry of Langston Hughes. Do you think the author meant
poetry to stand as a form of freedom and escape for Ashvin and his father? How
do literary role models challenge stereotypes of slum life? What does poetry
symbolize in the story?

12. What role does Mr. Bloom play in the novel? Do you consider him a just
character or not? Do you believe he had Meina’s best interest at heart?
13. James asks Meina: “Do you blame me for what happened to Ashvin? Be honest”
(143). Do you think Meina forgives James? Do James and Meina forgive Ashvin?
What role do you think guilt played in the suicide attempts? Does James feel
guilty for surviving? Does Meina feel guilty for her brother’s death?

14. How does the sojourn to Cornwall change Meina and James’ relationship? Do you
think the shift in setting—from the enclosed slums to the open sea—is responsible
for James and Meina finally sleeping together and opening up to one another?

15. On page 147, James describes listening to Meina read Richard Wright’s book as
“one of those stories you read and never forget, one that made you feel for your
ancestors, one that made all your own troubles pale in comparison” (147). Do
you think this is a fair way to characterize Forest Gate? Did the voices of James
and Meina bring alive for you what it means to be SOMALI? What it means to be
victimized by circumstance? What it means to be trapped?

16. Discuss the ending of the story. Do you think it was a happy ending? Do you
think there is a future for Meina and James? For James’s nephew?

Additional Activities: Ways of Enhancing Your Book Club

1. Forest Gate lets readers glimpse into the world of a SOMALI woman living in
London. Explore further what it means to be a young woman in Somalia and a young
Muslim SOMALI woman living in London by having each member of your book
club read a copy of Infidel (Free Press, 2008) by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Can you find any
comparisons between Ayaan and Meina?

2. Have a movie night with your book club and rent “The Class (Entre Les Murs)”
(2008). Is this school similar to the school James and Ashvin attended? How so?
Does the slum life in the film remind you of the slums of Forest Gate? What are the
differences between the book and the film?

3. In the novel, Meina visits the SOMALI restaurant Zudzi (62) after she learns of
Ashvin’s death. Meina is reminded of her lost home, of her lost Mother and says the
food was “so delicious I almost wept” (63). Host a book club meeting in a local
SOMALI restaurant or have a potluck with traditional SOMALI dishes. Over lunch,
discuss what it means to be displaced. What would you miss most? Can you relate to
Meina’s story?

4. Explore Langston Hughes poetry further by picking up a copy of The Collected