The Turning

How is the adult Vic Lang that we see in stories like “Damaged Goods” and “Defender” an outgrowth of the young man we see in earlier stories? What made him into the man he is at the end of the book?

There are several stories where the bush or the outback play a prominent role. How does the wilderness function in one of these stories?

What has caused so much strain between Max and Frank (aka “Leaper”)? Why can’t they understand each other when they meet again as adults in “Family”?

A royal commission (the highest form of investigation in the Australian government) into police behavior is happening in the background of “Commission.” How does this relate to Vic reconnecting with his father, and what is the significance of his father’s reaction to the news?

Though the through line of the book is Vic Lang’s family trauma, many of the stories focus on other families in similar situations. What value does this add to the central narrative of the book?

Many of the Aborigine, immigrant, and economically disadvantaged characters in this book are marginalized by society at large or by other characters, and the story “Defender” has a significant plot point about Vic not wanting to be seen as racist. How are race and class presented in this book, and in what ways are they central to the narrative?

In “Abbreviation” and “Damaged Goods,” Vic is infatuated with women whom he perceives as being different because of their physical deformity. Is this empathy or fetishization, and what does it say about Vic’s character?

At the end of “Boner McPharlin’s Moll,” Jackie blames herself for what happens to Boner. Does the text support this as an accurate understanding of her responsibility to her friend? Why or why not?