River Sing Me Home Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, The Abolition of Slavery in the Caribbean and our BookBrowse Review of River Sing Me Home.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. "Rachel did not mind that she lacked Hope's hard outlines and clear sense of self. That was how she had chosen to survive—by letting little pieces of herself fall away without resistance." What do you make of Rachel's character and of her attitude to survival? Do you think her attitude changes during the novel?
2. What does Rachel's journey say about motherhood? What do you think Rachel learns about being a mother over the course of the novel?
3. Each of Rachel's children chooses a different path out of slavery. Are they all, in some sense, free? Are some paths better than others?

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