|
Why do you think Jessie was so attracted to W. E. B. Du Bois? Why do you think she continued the relationship, even though she knew there was no future in it? Do you think she made the correct decision at the end of the book?
|
|
8
|
35
|
February 10, 2026
|
|
Why do you think Jessie was so successful as the literary editor of The Crisis? What personality traits and skill set made her able to discover and nurture talented authors?
|
|
4
|
15
|
February 10, 2026
|
|
What surprised you about Harlem Rhapsody? What did you learn that was new to you?
|
|
17
|
70
|
February 10, 2026
|
|
W.E.B. DuBois and family
|
|
9
|
55
|
February 8, 2026
|
|
Fauset asks her sister, “Has there ever been a force in your life that brought you an equal measure of joy and sorrow?” How do you think her relationship with Du Bois exemplifies this? How would you answer her question?
|
|
7
|
44
|
February 7, 2026
|
|
Jessie faced a lot of racism and sexism in her life. How did she combat both throughout the novel? Do you think her attitude to racism and sexism changed over the course of the book?
|
|
5
|
32
|
February 7, 2026
|
|
What role did Jessie play in the Harlem Renaissance?
|
|
3
|
20
|
February 7, 2026
|
|
Several times W.E.B. Du Bois expresses the opinion that if art’s not propaganda, “it has no purpose.” What did you think of this? Is all art propaganda of some sort?
|
|
15
|
54
|
February 7, 2026
|
|
To what audience would you recommend Harlem Rhapsody? Is there another book or author you feel addresses related themes or who writes in a similar style?
|
|
8
|
41
|
February 7, 2026
|
|
The author mentions the lifelong disagreement between W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington regarding the best path to Black equality. Were you aware of the conflict, and do you have an opinion about it? Do you think it's shifted over the decades?
|
|
5
|
28
|
February 7, 2026
|
|
Isabella tells Fauset that “The only regret I’ve had is not guiding you to a respectable life,” to which Fauset replies, “My life is respectable.” What do you think? What makes a life “respectable”?
|
|
5
|
27
|
February 4, 2026
|
|
Jessie and her stepmother, Isabella Huff Fauset, have a very close relationship. Why do you think that is? How do you think Isabella influenced Jessie's life? How is Isabella an extraordinary woman for her time?
|
|
2
|
22
|
February 3, 2026
|
|
Was there a scene or a quote in Harlem Rhapsody that you highlighted? Why do you suppose it resonated with you?
|
|
3
|
24
|
February 1, 2026
|
|
1000 Books side read information
|
|
34
|
188
|
February 1, 2026
|
|
What did you think of the book’s remote, wintery setting? How did the atmosphere affect your enjoyment of the plot?
|
|
18
|
136
|
March 10, 2026
|
|
1000 Books, February 2026: What should we read?
|
|
12
|
112
|
January 30, 2026
|
|
What factors in the United States contributed to the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s?
|
|
0
|
9
|
January 28, 2026
|
|
Gwen states very early on that she tries to be normal (e.g., in the way she dresses, in her work, in the men she dates) but that she doesn’t really think she is, given her past. What do you think? Is she normal, or has she been warped by events?
|
|
15
|
63
|
February 2, 2026
|
|
Did you have a favorite scene in the novel, and if so, why do you suppose it resonated?
|
|
8
|
58
|
March 24, 2026
|
|
Overall, what did you think of Cursed Daughters? (no spoilers, please!)
|
|
30
|
173
|
March 24, 2026
|
|
Overall, what did you think of The Frozen River? (no spoilers, please!)
|
|
64
|
4811
|
January 21, 2026
|
|
In what ways was the book’s Nigerian setting reflected in the story? What might have been different if it had been set in the United States or the UK?
|
|
16
|
91
|
March 24, 2026
|
|
To what audience would you recommend Cursed Daughters? Is there another book or author you feel addresses related themes or who writes in a similar style?
|
|
20
|
95
|
March 24, 2026
|
|
Discuss the differences between Grandma West and Grandma East. How do they support their families? How do their own superstitions impact their daughters?
|
|
9
|
65
|
March 24, 2026
|
|
Do you see Cursed Daughters as a love story? What do you think is the central romance of the story?
|
|
23
|
131
|
March 24, 2026
|
|
Eniiyi assures herself that she is her own person by frequently reminding herself of a distinctive birthmark that Monife lacked. How do you think Eniiyi would have behaved if she had no birthmark?
|
|
15
|
54
|
March 24, 2026
|
|
The Forgotten Book Club Reading list
|
|
4
|
118
|
February 19, 2026
|
|
Overall, what did you think of The Forgotten Book Club? (no spoilers, please!)
|
|
30
|
227
|
February 19, 2026
|
|
How does water (Elugushi Beach and Mami Wata) factor into the lives of the Falodun women? What do you think this says about them?
|
|
8
|
45
|
March 24, 2026
|
|
The Falodun women are fiercely protective, but also sensitive. How do you see them showing up for each other (or sometimes failing to do so) throughout the story? How about their uncle Tolu?
|
|
6
|
35
|
March 24, 2026
|