McCann is a master of the sounds of everyday life. For example: Lovers whisper. The dying speak too softly to be understood. Authority figures use volume to intimidate, as when the police bark orders. Silence is peaceful and calm; it is the best way to die.   Find three other examples where the author uses sound—volume, tone, and pitch—to create an emotional atmosphere in the book.

The two brothers, Ciaran and Corrigan, loved their mother dearly. What impact did her early death have on their life choices? Would, for example, Corrigan have left Ireland if his mother were still alive?

Ciaran leaves Dublin after experiencing the violence wrought by an IRA bomb. In what ways is New York a safer place? In what ways is it just as dangerous or, perhaps, even more threatening?