Book Club Discussion Questions for The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, General James Oglethorpe and our BookBrowse Review of The Kingdoms of Savannah.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Despite Ransom's best efforts to create distance between himself and his family, he finds himself repeatedly entangled in the detective work of his mother, Morgana, and niece, Jaq. What do you think pulls Ransom back into the family and his mother's schemes?
2. Why did the Gooze turn to the Musgrove family? What traits make them uniquely able to help?
3. How does the setting of Savannah guide the novel? Do you think it was important that the author included real places? How has the author's inclusion of these places shaped your perception of Savannah?
4. Many writers have conflicted relationships with the places they grew up in. Is it possible to simultaneously love and hate a place (in particular one's hometown)? Where in the novel do you see the author's complicated relationship with the city?
5. The book challenges the seeming disconnect between the tourists' history of Savannah and the city's dark history of slavery. Were you surprised by some of Savannah's history? Is it possible to present a full picture of the past? Do you think it's important for people to know the history of where they live?
6. The close-knit communities of Savannah's elite and Savannah's homeless population become a wealth of information for the Musgrove family during this investigation. How do these two communities mirror each other? What are the roles of money, race, and status in the story?
7. Bebe and Willou are compared and contrasted their whole lives, but did you notice any similarities between the two Musgrove sisters?
8. How do you feel about Morgana? How did your perspective on her relationship with Ransom and his place in the family evolve throughout the book?
9. Why do you think the author reveals who kidnapped Stony so early in the novel? How did this shape your understanding of the rest of the story?
10. From where does Stony draw her strength? How is her resistance to her kidnapper similar to or different from the strengths of other characters, such as Jaq, Ransom, or the Musician?
11. There are two principal mysteries in the book: Who is behind Luke's murder and what is the Kingdom? How do they interplay? Which of these mysteries do you think is more essential to the themes of the book?
12. Why do you think Galatas made the choices he did? What motivated him to go beyond the desires of the people he worked with?
13. Do you feel that Luke or Billy get justice in the end?
14. Were you satisfied with Morgana's solution at the end of the book? Was she protecting Jaq or betraying her? How do you think her relationship with Jaq has changed?
15. What do you think is next for Jaq or the rest of the characters?
16. The author broke the book into five chapters, each focusing on a different character. How does this affect the way you experience the story?
17. Did the book or the author's writing call to mind other Southern writers? What is it about the South that opens up such a wealth of storytelling?

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