The Small Back Room cover

The Small Back Room

by Nigel Balchin

A classic 20th-century novel. Sammy Rice, a weapons scientist and one of the "backroom boys" of World War Two, suffers from a crippling disability that has left him cynical, disillusioned, and riddled with self-doubt. But, when the enemy begins dropping a new form of booby bomb, causing terrible casualties, Sammy alone has the know-how to defuse it. Face to face with real danger, he must confront his inadequacies - if he is to succeed.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?