Say You're One of Them Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of Say You're One of Them.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Each of the stories in Say You're One of Them is told from the perspective of a child. Do you think this affected your reaction? If the narrators had been adults, might you have felt differently about the stories? Why do you think Akpan chose to depict these events through children's eyes? How do Akpan's young characters maintain innocence in the face of corruption and pain?
2. In "An Ex-mas Feast," Maisha leaves her family to become a full- time prostitute. Do you think she chose to depart, or did her family's poverty force her to flee? Is it possible to have complete freedom of will in such a situation? Is it reasonable to judge a person for her actions if her choice is not entirely her own?
3. In "Fattening for Gabon" the children's uncle and caretaker, Fofo Kpee, sells them into slavery. How does Fofo's poverty and vanity contribute to his unthinkable actions? Do his pangs of conscience redeem him for you? Why or why not?

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