Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Smoke Kings by Jahmal Mayfield

Book Club Discussion Questions

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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. How does Bella and Mason's implicit bias against Black people manifest at the start of the novel? How do they rationalize their perspective? What makes their insidious racism so dangerous?
2. Fear and anger are driving forces of the plot. How do these emotions manifest in the characters (the vigilantes, the investigators, the Righteous Boys, and their respective families)? What do they reveal about the racial dynamics explored in the novel?
3. Rachel acts as bait several times throughout the novel. Is this empowering, a reclamation of violence perpetrated against women? Or, rather, does this shine a light on the insidious nature of objectification/sexualization explored in the novel?
4. Isiah and Nate don't agree on whether their work should focus solely on seeking vengeance on behalf of the Black community or of all marginalized communities. How does this debate mirror the Black Lives Matter movement? Does broadening the scope dilute their message?
5. Nate almost kills Robinson, the only Black person they kidnap, in a clear moment of escalation. Why do you think the author chose to include this scene? Is Nate's need for vengeance blind, or is this demonstration of how society devalues Black bodies, even within the Black community?
6. How do violence and power operate within the novel? Consider the dynamics explored between men and women, the police and civilians, and white and Black people.
7. In what ways do Nate and Samuel act as foils to each other?
8. Consider Nate's rationale for targeting descendants of hate crime perpetrators explored on pages 322–323. What does the pattern he finds suggest about the cyclical nature of oppression?
9. Throughout Smoke Kings, the female characters are subjected to instances of violence—both physical and psychological. What do these scenes reveal about the nature of violence, power, and oppression against women?
10. How does Mason's character evolve throughout the novel? Do you feel as though he has shown any growth? Is it enough? Is he one of the "good guys?"
11. Why do you think the author chose to end the novel the way he did? What does this final scene reveal about the underlying message of Smoke Kings?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Melville House. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.