Many critics and reviewers have described this novel as a “cautionary tale.” Do you agree? What exactly do you think Follett is warning us about? How does he depict international relations in this sense?

How do you think having so many women in positions of power has changed the impact and meaning of the novel? Are they powerful because they behave as men, or do they add difference in their actions and decisions? How is their agency specifically female?

How is China’s form of indirect neo-colonialism shown in the novel? Do you think it is less harmful to African countries than 19th century imperialism was? How does it impact global power dynamics with the West?