Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for Crown by Evanthia Bromiley

1. The dramatis personae, or the persons of the drama is a list of characters typically found at the beginning of a narrative work. This literary device helps readers understand and follow the plot more easily. Did you find the list helpful? Explain your answer.
2. Consider the title Crown and reflect on what it means to you. Examine the chapter titled "Crowning"—who is being crowned, and why? Explore the different meanings of the word crown. Do any of these other definitions apply to the story as a whole? Support your answer with examples from the novel.
3. Crown captures a pivotal moment in the life of a young family facing the uncertainties of being unhoused. Consider how the opening chapter, "Eviction," sets the tone for the rest of the novel. Jude reflects, "Everything I love in this world has been cut from me, and this place will be no different" (p. 7). What does this quote reveal about her life up to this point? How does the chapter offer insight into the lives of Jude and her twins, Evan and Virginia?
4. Virginia and Evan, both nine years old, are navigating the challenges of self-discovery in a hostile world. Evan is described as "raven-silent and dreaming," while Virginia is "shrieking, golden" (p. 13). In what ways are they different, and how are they the same? How do they function as a team? Explore how their bond and identities evolve throughout the novel.
5. On page 75, Virginia says, "Just tell yourself that: I'm good. I'm only tired." What effect does the Sleepless Man have on the characters, especially the twins? What do you think his presence means to them? How would you describe his friendship with Evan and Virginia, and why do you think it matters in the story?
6. In what ways is sexuality portrayed in the novel? How do the characters' experiences with love, desire, and intimacy reflect their emotional needs or social realities? How does the author use these moments to deepen our understanding of the characters?
7. A central theme in the story is that of falling—whether emotionally, socially, or physically. Analyze how the author uses symbolism throughout the novel to deepen this theme. For example, what is the significance of Jude's tattoos?
8. Why do you think Evan is so focused on making an offer to You, his unborn sister? What might the act of abandoning the model home— "Drop the tiny house on the ground. Step on it. Smash it" (p. 230)—symbolize, and how do you think this shapes what he will offer her next?
9. Child narrators in adult fiction are often used to question things that adults may overlook or take for granted. In Crown, Evan and Virginia take turns narrating the story. How did experiencing the novel from their perspective influence the way you viewed the events of the story? Discuss the advantages and limitations of having young narrators in a book dealing with complex issues.
10. In an interview, Bromiley has shared the inspiration for setting the novel in the blue-collar Southwest: "Land like this does something to the imagination." What do you think she means by that? How does the environment influence the characters' experiences, and in what ways does it help build a sense of community?
11. Coming-of-age novels typically explore themes of self-discovery, conflict, loss of innocence, and exposure to the outside world. Using examples from Crown, assess how the novel both reflects and challenges the conventions of the genre.
12. In the absence of a father, the twins use their imagination to make "the best one [come] to life" and shape him into "what you need" (p. 190). How does this absence affect the twins? What does it reveal about their resilience and how they cope with their situation?
13. After her assault by the older boy in the park, Virginia tells her mother, "But I wanted to kill them, Mom" (p. 102). How do the characters respond to violence and tragedy in the novel? Do their reactions surprise you? What do those moments reveal about who they are—or who they are becoming?
14. What do you think of Jude's choice to leave her children alone in the car while she gives birth? Did she truly have no other options? Could she have turned to someone like the Sleepless Man or Betty for help? What might you have done in her place?
15. While Jude is in the ER waiting to have her baby, she meets two other patients: Dorothy, who is near the end of her life, and Simon, who is just beginning his. In what ways does Dorothy serve as a foil for Simon? How do their contrasting experiences help reveal something deeper about Jude and her situation?
16. In the closing chapter, "The Park Watches," what stood out to you about how the story ends? Were you surprised by the ending? Discuss how the community comes together to protect the twins and the role the park plays in their lives. What do you think it means when Jude "pulls the sheet up and over them both and makes for herself and her child a roof" (p. 259)? How does this final image speak to the themes of shelter, resilience, and care?

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