Discussion questions
- In what ways are Mina and Masako different, and how are they alike? Which character do you like more?
- “Mina” was a popular name for girls in the US the year Mina was born. In Japanese, mina-san means “everyone.” Does Mina seem like a “typical American college student” to you? How might a character from another culture or country be different, and how might they be the same?
- Mina’s modern life was privileged - she was able to attend university and travel to Japan - and yet her anxiety was nearly crippling. Discuss whether and why more young people today suffer from anxiety in greater numbers than in the past.
- Were you surprised at the status of women in 10th-11th century Japan?
- What is something about Japanese culture (modern or historical) that you were surprised to learn through this book?
- Spirit possession represents different things to different people. What does it represent to you? Why do you think the author made spirit possession a key plot point?
- Compare Tangled Spirits to other time travel stories. What elements do they have in common? Which elements are different? Would you time travel if you could? Why or why not?
- Are Mina’s actions understandable in her predicament? If you were ‘stuck’ in someone else’s body, would you try to control it, or “steal it” as Mina thinks of it?
- How did Mina's journey into the past change her?
- Sei Shonagon, a medieval Japanese noblewoman, wrote The Pillow Book over one thousand years ago, and yet people from many different cultures and eras can relate to what she wrote. Why do you think this is? Make your own list of “Awkward and Embarrassing Things”, “Adorable Things”, “Infuriating Things” or “Things That Make You Feel Nostalgic.” Then compare your list to Sei’s. Are any of your items on her list?
