Peter Gray 

 

1. How did you feel about Charlie Robertson, the main character? What do you think drives him?

 

2. How do you think you would react being sent away to the other side of the world as a young child?

 

3. Charlie has this burning desire to confront his Aunt Hett, because he believes she is responsible for sending him away. When he finds out the truth, he feels incredibly sad, that as a boy he couldn’t do anything for his mother. His feelings towards his Aunt Hett completely change after learning the truth. Why didn’t Charlie get an inkling as a boy that something else was happening and that his mother was being abused?

 

4. Why do you think Charlie spent so much time in Kalgoorlie as a young man as a loner when he wasn’t getting anywhere?

 

5. Charlie is shattered when his wife Rebecca dies in childbirth, so now he not only has feelings of abandonment as a child and was devastated when his mother died and he wasn’t there to help, but now his beloved wife Rebecca dies as well. Why do you think he still has the strength to carry on?

 

6. When Charlie finally returns to London as a middle-aged man, some of the old spark returns, and he enjoys flirting with Catherine. But why do you think he also feels guilty?

 

7. Can you see similarities in how Charlie deals with Pratt & Reynolds, and then Braithwaite & Smyth?

 

8. Charlie is severely beaten up and nearly dies. Do you think the experience changes him?

 

9. Charlie couldn’t build his diamond empire on his own, he needs good people around him. Who do you think are the most important and why? And why is it that all the people around Charlie would do almost anything for him?

 

10. Why do you think Charlie has self-doubts about whether Catherine will want to marry him or not?

 

11. Charlie Robertson always liked to be called Charlie, because he says it's friendlier, but is this the real reason?

 

12. Why is the elegant Catherine Walker attracted to Charlie?