Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb

1. Discuss Francesca's reasons for leaving Italy. What circumstances would cause you to leave your home?
2. Francesca is warned that some immigrant women have been funneled into workhouses or servitude by scam artists. How does the immigration process make people more vulnerable? What protections would you suggest to prevent these types of exploitation?
3. Describe Alma's mother, Johanna. How does her own security compete with herchildren's needs? Do you think she could have stood up to Robert more?
4. Francesca and Maria are first denied entry to the U.S. because they have no male relatives to meet them and no employment arranged. What was the reasoning behind these limiting policies? How do they compare to modern immigration requirements?
5. Alma's first instinct is to report all types of corruption she sees—from the vendor giving incorrect change to matrons resorting to physical violence. Still, her coworkers repeatedly convince her not to say anything. What persuaded her to keep quiet? Would you have done something different in her place?
6. As she confesses her sins, Francesca hopes that her God would understand her intentions. At the time of each "sin," she felt she was making the only choice available to her. Do you think she acted immorally throughout the book? Why or why not?
7. Most of the Ellis Island staff disdains Commissioner Williams when he takes charge. Did he deserve their distrust? How do the opinions of Alma's coworkers shape her interactions with the commissioner?
8. Francesca agrees to help her coworker Janie find the rat in her bedroom, knowing that it might curb some of Janie's cruel behavior. Would you have helped Janie? Are there circumstances where helping others—or making yourself indispensable to them—is not a worthwhile strategy?
9. Alma is appalled to discover that her coworkers were already aware of John Lambert's mistreatment of immigrant women. How did his position and the criminalization of sex work protect him from consequences? Do you think the coworkers who turned a blind eye share responsibility for his crimes?
10. How does fear of the unknown dominate immigration policy, both in the past and the present?

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