Discussion Questions for Stronghold
Poster for America’s Wild Read Summer 2023 with head and shoulders image of author and image of book cover for Stronghold: One Man's Quest to Save the World's Wild Salmon. Graphics: Richard DeVries/USFWS

This Summer, we’re reading an improbable and exciting story titled, Stronghold: One Man’s Quest to Save the World’s Wild Salmon by Tucker Malarkey as our quarterly wild read selection. Come join us on Thursday, August 17 at 3 PM EST for our online book discussion and share your thoughts and perspectives on a few of the following questions.  

The Wild Read book club meetings are a place where the readers reflect on the reading, answer discussion questions, and enjoy some time together through a conversation on conservation literature. Feel free to also use these questions as a springboard for conversations with your friends, colleagues, or local book club. We hope you join us.  

Stronghold Discussion Questions 

  1. Stronghold is a story of adventure- which chapter or anecdote did you find most exciting? 

     

  2. The book alludes to Guido, “the great man” who saved the salmon nation. But it credits numerous anglers, scientists, and officials who together, show there’s power in combined science. Have you been a part of large-scale conservation or seen efforts like this in your own work?

     

  3. In Stronghold, we see passionate people who care about protecting salmon strongholds and pristine river systems for future generations, but to bring about effective change, Guido reached many powerful players in politics and society. What did you learn about the business side of conservation?  

     

  4. Guido is compelling as he persuades his audience, ever-curious about the next catch and how to tie the perfect fly, and committed to this stronghold strategy. Do you relate with his persuasive character? How so?  

     

  5. Salmon are quite remarkable as they hold together magnificent interconnected systems. They are a symbolic creature with deep-rooted connections, and resilient as they undergo impressive life histories. What was the most interesting thing you learned about salmon?  

     

Brought to you by the USFWS Library, America's Wild Read is a virtual book club where we aim to inspire you to engage with conservation literature and nature writing. We hope you will read along with us as we feature various conservation books every quarter — contemporary, traditional, new, and classic. 

Story Tags

Aquatic connectivity
Biologists (USFWS)
Connecting people with nature
Conservation
Employees (USFWS)
Fish migration
Fishing
Outreach