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About the Book Clubs category
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0
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34
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October 14, 2024
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Structure of the novel, Real Americans
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4
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16
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April 30, 2025
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Overall, what did you think of The River Knows Your Name? (no spoilers, please!)
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35
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108
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April 30, 2025
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What did you think of Hazel and the actions she took regarding two-year-old Evie? Do you feel she followed the correct course of action? What would you have done in her place?
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19
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47
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April 30, 2025
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Nell and Evie are reluctant to ask Hazel any questions about their past. Why do you suppose this is? In their place, would you have pushed Hazel for answers or avoided the subject?
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11
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31
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April 30, 2025
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What’s your opinion of Becca’s living arrangements in Nachez? Would you have stayed once you knew more about the residence?
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18
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47
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April 30, 2025
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When Mildred first reaches out, her intentions are unclear. In Becca's circumstances, would you have made a decision to seek help from her?
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21
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46
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April 30, 2025
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To what audience would you recommend The River Knows Your Name? Is there another book or author you feel has a similar theme or style?
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13
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38
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April 30, 2025
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Wakely tells Elizabeth he’s not sure “normal” exists. “Does science recognize normal?”, he asks. “How would you define normal?” (p. 353). What do you think? Is there such a thing as “normal”?
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2
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8
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April 29, 2025
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Phil tells Walter that Elizabeth isn’t relatable – but that’s a good thing. “People don’t want to see themselves on TV, they want to see the people they’ll never be on TV.” (p. 202). Do you agree with him?
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2
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7
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April 29, 2025
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Is it possible for a white screenwriter or director to authentically capture a Black person’s experiences? Is it possible for a white audience to determine when a film is a realistic portrayal of a Black person’s life or will bias always stand in the way?
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11
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36
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April 28, 2025
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Do you feel Baldwin wrote his essays with a specific audience in mind? Who do you think he is addressing, if so?
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4
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23
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April 28, 2025
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What did you learn from The Devil Finds Work? What surprised you the most?
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13
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33
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April 28, 2025
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Elizabeth refuses to marry Calvin. What did you think of her decision here? How would her life have been different if they’d married?
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4
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14
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April 28, 2025
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Madeline fills her family tree with Sojourner Truth, Amelia Earhart, and Nefertiti to point out that all humans are related. But if humans are 99.9 percent the same, why do we treat each other so differently?
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3
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12
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April 28, 2025
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Toward the end of her segment, Lily promises to give Nick what she didn't receive growing up from her parents. Based on Nick's characteristics, in what ways do you think she achieved that? What are some traits that Nick has that point to Lily's influence?
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4
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19
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April 28, 2025
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As a child, Elizabeth had no formal education, and yet she was able to self-educate, thanks to her library card. With the advent of technology, do you think libraries are still important to society? If so, why?
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4
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13
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April 28, 2025
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Overall, what did you think of Lessons in Chemistry? (No spoilers, please!)
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8
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57
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April 28, 2025
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Harriet questions Elizabeth’s “que será, será approach to parenting.” Do you think she was truly as hands-off as Harriet supposes? What do you think of the way she raised Madeline?
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2
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9
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April 27, 2025
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Elizabeth tells Harriet she worries that introversion could be a gene mutation, and that both she & Calvin could be carriers (p. 167). Do you think Madeline was an introvert? Do you feel this is an inherited or learned trait?
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3
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16
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April 27, 2025
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Elizabeth is sometimes depressed by the circumstances in her life, and yet she's never a victim. How does she continually pick herself up? What do you think fuels her resilience? And why, after she's reached stardom, is she more miserable than ever?
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2
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9
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April 27, 2025
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Do you think May and Otto's attempts at manipulating genetics were successful? In what ways did their attempts to prioritize Matthew's DNA succeed? What do you think Khong is trying to say here about how a person grows and develops traits?
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7
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30
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April 27, 2025
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Why do you think May was disappointed in Lily's choice to quit her job at the magazine and financially rely on Matthew in the early years of their relationship?
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18
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50
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April 27, 2025
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Why do you think Khong decided to write in the perspectives of these three characters? Did you notice any shifts in how they're portrayed among the different segments (e.g., how is May characterized from Lily's perspective versus how May tells her story)?
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10
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35
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April 27, 2025
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Elizabeth refuses to accept limits placed on her by society and insists that others also ignore those limits. How do each of those characters ultimately rise to that challenge? And in what ways have you or others been limited by societal norms?
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1
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4
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April 27, 2025
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Many male characters are sympathetic to Elizabeth's plight, but most have trouble standing up for women or other minorities in the workplace. Why do good-hearted people have trouble speaking up? And what are the consequences of not doing so?
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1
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5
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April 27, 2025
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How do you think Elizabeth’s beauty helped or hurt her? Do you feel men are ever similarly judged by their looks? Has this changed since the time period in which the book is set, in your opinion?
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2
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13
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April 27, 2025
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Which character, major or minor, did you like the most, which did you like the least, and why?
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14
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35
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April 26, 2025
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Baldwin states on page 35, “It is said that the camera cannot lie, but rarely do we allow it to do anything else. . . The language of the camera is the language of our dreams.” What do you think he means?
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8
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53
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April 25, 2025
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Lottie does not reveal her illness to Becca, as she wants Becca to be free to establish a new life with Ben. Do you think that was a good decision? What would you have done in her position?
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15
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38
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April 24, 2025
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