Maiden Voyage cover

Maiden Voyage

by Denton Welch

"Maiden Voyage is an account of author Denton Welch's sixteenth year when he ran away from his English public school, and was then sent to Shanghai to live with his father. The book was Welch's literary debut and created a sensation on publication in 1943: its frank description of public schoolboy life forced publisher Herbert Read to seek advice from libel lawyers. Even Winston Churchill's private secretary gossiped in a letter that, "the book was reeking with homosexuality ... I think I must get it." Today, Welch's expressions of sexuality may seem more demure than outrageous, but his graphic portrayal of the passions and humiliations of adolescence have made him a beloved writer for a growing cult of devotees."--BOOK JACKET.

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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?