Book Club Discussion Questions
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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Magnetic Pull of Historically Black Colleges and our BookBrowse Review of Sky Full of Elephants.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
- How do Charlie and Sidney's initial feelings towards each other reflect larger themes of family and identity in the novel? Discuss their relationship dynamics and how these evolve over the course of their journey.
- Sidney's isolation and fear of the outside world are profound. Discuss the psychological impact of her experiences and how they mirror or contrast with societal issues of isolation, trauma, and recovery.
- Explore the significance of Charlie being a professor of electric and solar power systems at Howard University. How does his profession and its focus on sustainability and renewal metaphorically relate to the themes of rebuilding and transformation in the story?
- The novel takes us through a cross-country journey yet focuses on a deeply personal narrative of a Black father and his daughter. How does the novel balance the macro (societal changes) with the micro (individual experiences) in its exploration of race and identity?
- How are the themes of community and connection manifested in the story, and what message does the novel convey about community and healing?
- Consider the role of the Kingdom of Alabama in the story. What does this setting symbolize, and how does it affect the characters' understanding of their world and themselves?
- Discuss the concept of a reckoning with what it means to be Black in America as portrayed in the novel. How does the book address this reckoning in both the alternate reality it creates and in reflections on our real world?
- The cataclysmic event that leads to a post-racial America is a bold narrative choice. What are your thoughts on how this event shapes the society depicted in the novel? Does it offer a critique, hope, or a warning about our current societal structures?
- Reflecting on the novel's ending, discuss the prospects of healing and self-actualization for Charlie, Sidney, and the society they inhabit. What vision of the future does the novel propose for its characters and for America?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Simon & Schuster.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
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