Book Club Questions: Daughters of the Night Sky

Katya has her first sighting of an airplane when she is 10 years old. Why do you think this moment is so poignant for her?
Why do you think flying—and having a pilot’s license—is so particularly significant to Katya? What does it represent?
Why do you feel Commander Karlov is so particularly hard on Katya? She’s never able to parse this for herself.
Why do you think Taisiya is so leery of Katya and Vanya’s friendship? Simply cautious about protocol, or is there more to it?
Vanya and Katya have a whirlwind courtship. Do you think they were foolish or romantic?
Sofia is angry when she is given a separate bedroom away from her regiment? Why do you think this is?
Why do the women react so strongly when they see their aircraft for the first time? Do you think they’re justified?
Why are the commanders above Sofia’s rank so quick to discipline these young women? What effect do you think it has on their morale?
The regiment suffers some devastating losses more than once. What is Katya’s role in these circumstances and why do you think it’s important?
When she’s injured, Vanya tries to coerce her to leave her regiment. Do you think she could have lived with her decision to go?
Katya and Oksana have a fractious relationship as they take over command of the regiment. What events provoke this, and do you think Katya is justified in her rebukes against Oksana’s leadership.
Why is Katya’s trip to Provence so important? Discuss what this really means for her.
Do you think her choices later in life mirror the bravery she showed in her youth?
After the war, how do you think her new friends and neighbors perceive her? Would they see anything of the war hero in her?
What feelings do you think Katya was experiencing upon her return to Russia in the 1990s? Pure elation, or is there more?