February: Threads that Bind

[Leander Public Library]

This month, we're reading Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou.

Threads that Bind is the author's debut novel, though her work has previously appeared in short story collections. The sequel to Threads that Bind, Hearts That Cut, has an expected publication date of June 2024.

This month, our discussion prompts were written by a staff member. You are not required to use them! Please note that there is a spoiler for the novel in the last question, and will likely be spoilers in any discussions.

1. What was the purpose of the prologue? Why do you think the author chose to start the book this way?

2. Children of the Fates are born in threes: “The firstborn was the spinner, who could weave new threads. The second was the drawer; she could elongate or shorten a thread, intensifying or weakening the corresponding feeling. And the youngest was the cutter, able to cut whatever thread she desired, even life-threads.” Out of the sisters, why do you think the author made the main character, Io, the youngest? What does her character gain by being a cutter, instead of a spinner or a drawer? Which of three powers do you find the most interesting?

3. Consider Thais’s argument that Io should cut her fate-thread to Edei in order to give him free will. Why do you think Io is unwilling to cut it? What are your thoughts on fate and free will—is one more powerful than the other?

4. In the story, it is revealed that most people have an average of 15 threads that tie them to the things they love most. Think of yourself and those closest to you—do you think that number is too many, too few, or just right, and why?

5. If the average person has 15 threads, Io has over twice as many. What does that say about her character?

6. Discuss the relationships between the Ora sisters, particularly Io and Thais. Which sister, if any, should shoulder most of the blame for their past dysfunction? Why do you think Io allowed her sisters to escape at the end of the book? Do you think that they will ever get along?

[Kristen]

I really liked this book! I love mythology, and Greek myths are the ones that I'm most familiar with, and that was a huge draw for me. I also really liked that while Io is a descendant of the Greeks, there are descendants of other cultures and other gods present, with similar or comparable abilities based on their myths. It really created a well-rounded world, imo.

Another plus was Alante (a nod to Atlantis, perhaps?) that created a surprising dystopian atmosphere to what I thought was going to be a straight high fantasy. I thought it was very mysterious--this half-sunken city with a poor neighborhood barely managing to stay afloat (in more ways than one). For the stilts alone, there’s so many facets that make it feel like a very real place; anarchy from the ruling gangs, weariness from struggling financially, mysteriousness in the secrecy surrounding the gang fight that took place before the events of the book. One of the aspects that stuck with me was traversing from one building to another via raised walkways/fallen boards/etc., which is kinda scary—I don’t consider myself exceptionally afraid of heights but that’s enough to make me at least a little nervous.

I think there was a lot of depth to this novel, which was a pleasant surprise--not that YA novels can't be deep or thoughtful, but this one had some very obvious and well-formed ideas that would make for a great discussion on some very abstract topics. And thus, I'm going to answer some of these prompts because otherwise I'll just go on and on.

2. Children of the Fates are born in threes... Out of the sisters, why do you think the author made the main character, Io, the youngest? What does her character gain by being a cutter, instead of a spinner or a drawer? Which of three powers do you find the most interesting?
First of all, I thought it was really interesting that that Hatzopoulou chose to feature the Fates, or Moirai, when most books focus on pantheon gods or heroes. I like the idea of exploring entities that are older than the gods, at least in Greek mythology. It really reminds you that the world of Greek myth is much larger than the pantheon gods most are familiar with; the Fates are a group of many who were used to explain the some of the most abstract concepts of the world—in this case, why we exist, how long we live, and why we eventually die.

I think Io was made to be the youngest in part because the cutter is probably the coolest ability. She has the added benefit of being seen as mysterious and dangerous on principle, whereas her sisters are viewed with suspicion but maybe not as much fear. I also think that there’s a finality to Io’s abilities that aren’t always present with her sisters. Thais may be able to create the sense of bonds, and Ava may be able to strengthen and weaken those bonds, but to get rid of them entirely? That’s something only cutters can do, and if there’s one thing about humanity, it’s that we’re always worried about the idea of a permanent ending.

3. Consider Thais’s argument that Io should cut her fate-thread to Edei in order to give him free will. Why do you think Io is unwilling to cut it? What are your thoughts on fate and free will—is one more powerful than the other?
Fate vs. free will: the question that still haunts philosophers to this day. In all seriousness, though, fate and free will has been something humanity has wrestled with for centuries—all the way back to the famous Greek philosophers and even farther. That’s why they, and many other cultures, have explanations of fate, like the Moirai. They humanized it when they couldn’t even begin to understand it and its place in our very existence—and it’s still a question that, with all of our conceived knowledge, has no answer in sight. It differs from one person to another; and I think that’s fair to say for Thais and Io.

For this argument, I’m going to say that Thais is the kind of person who believes that humans have the agency to shape their own destinies, and Io is the kind of person who believes that we are all bound, in some way or another, to a path that has been laid out for us by a greater power. For Thais, Io’s fate-thread would be an affront to her beliefs, a direct disconnect between what she sees, what she knows, and how she feels, and therefore it’s fair for her to ask Io to give Edei the free will he deserves. For Io, purposely cutting a fate-thread when she believes that it’s destined would be equivalent to turning her back on a higher power, which would be devastating to someone who finds comfort in knowing that something or someone in the great cosmos has a plan for her.

Do the characters actually think this way? Who knows. It’s fiction, and only the author can tell us the reasoning behind Thais’s and Io’s actions.

4. In the story, it is revealed that most people have an average of 15 threads that tie them to the things they love most. Think of yourself and those closest to you—do you think that number is too many, too few, or just right, and why?
I’m a sentimental kind of person. At least, that’s what I say. My mom might say that I’m a pack rat. But for me, I tend to feel an emotional connection to the wildest of things. For example, having to cut down a tree the yard of my childhood home hurts me emotionally, especially when it’s a tree that’s present in core memories. Giving away a stuffed animal that I won at a fair, the first one ever, would be an assault to my memories of the event. And those are just the little things, the things that I don’t think about in my daily life. This is hardly true for everyone, but for me 15 is just not enough. I’d have so many threads of various strength that I’d look like a messy bobbin.

5. If the average person has 15 threads, Io has over twice as many. What does that say about her character?
So, follow-up to my last answer, Io is like me. Sentimental. Pack-ratty. Not a hoarder, but with hoarding tendencies. Minimalism is not for us.