1. History and Stories
A. Book titles
have a lot of work to do—they convey to the reader what the book is about and
hint at the book’s themes, but a book’s title can’t give away too much. What is
the significance of the first part of the title, The Devil’s Violin?
What does the physical violin represent throughout the book? What does Antti
seek when he plays the violin? What does Myllysilta mean when feels he himself
is the devil’s violin?
B. What about the subtitle—how does it relate to the book’s
events?
C. What stories about your own family do you know? Have your
ancestors, or perhaps even you, omitted some facts to create a more positive
family story?
2.Relationships
A. The
Devil’s Violin: Myllysilta’s History includes many parent-child
relationships, as well as other relationships such as “business partner” and “mentor-protégé.”
What makes for a positive parent-child relationship? How do peers and mentors
influence a person’s worldview?
B. Does Antti
Myllysilta have a good father? What other influences did Antti have as a child,
and how did they help or hurt him? In what ways is Andrew Millbridge a good
father, and in what ways is he lacking?
C. Other than
Antti, who influences his children, Owen and May—how do other characters help
them become responsible adults?
D. What about
Marilyn Mantere and her parents-in-law, Jussi and Viktoria—what qualities are
they passing along to Jimmy?
3. Violence
and Redemption
A. What was
the effect of the violence in Antti’s early life? Does that type of violence
doom Antti/Andrew to be broken beyond repair, or were there opportunities for
Antti to heal his early pain and live differently?
B. Do you
think he would have remained happy if Annie had lived, or would their marriage
have soured eventually, as she discovered more of his secrets?
4. Secret
Enterprises
A. Andrew Millbridge
takes pains to keep all of his business life separate from that of his children
when they’re young. How does he feel about his under-the-table business
interests—why does he pursue them and then why does he stop?
B. When they
were living on their own, how truthful were Owen and May truthful with their
father? Were they pursuing their own secret lives?
5. Loyal
Soldiers
A. Rufous
(Rough-house) Karialainen and Mrs. Vogel both play key roles in Millbridge’s
business empires. How do their roles with Millbridge differ? What are their
main motivations for their actions?
B. To whom,
and to what extent, was Antti loyal? How about Andrew Millbridge—was he a loyal
friend, associate, business partner, husband, student, citizen?
6. The Past
A. At the end
of the novel, Owen and May have different relationships to the facts and truths
of their father’s life. Owen doesn’t know about their father and doesn’t want
to know. May knows, possibly wishes she doesn’t, but agrees to keep their
father’s secret life secret. Which option is safer? Which is more responsible,
honest, or honourable?
B. If you had
to choose between those two options, which would you choose? Would you expose
your father if you had the information, and if so, why?
C. Genetic
testing and popular DNA websites are exposing long-held family secrets. What are
some of the ethical issues around those secrets now coming to light? Should those
types of secrets stay buried?
7. The
Future
What do you
think some of the characters do in the future? For example, what’s May up to in
1980?
