Book Club Discussion Questions for Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Real-Life Inspirations for Daughters of Shandong and our BookBrowse Review of Daughters of Shandong.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Hai and Di each have dreams for themselves. Do they achieve them? If not, was there anything different that they could have or should have done?
2. Di often calls Hai a coward. What kinds of bravery does each character exhibit? How does each character's bravery (or lack thereof) shape the family's story?
3. Familial relationships are important to all the characters. How do Hai's and Di's relationship with their mom evolve throughout the book? What about Hai and Di's relationship with each other?
4. Is there an antagonist in Daughters of Shandong? If so, who or what do you think it is, and why?
5. If you were either Hai or Di, could you forgive your father? What about your grandmother and grandfather?
6. Hai's mom makes many difficult decisions. Do you think she regrets any of them? Do you think she is happy at the end of her life?
7. Hai says, "Sometimes, success is something that happens over the course of generations, something that is built upon life after life." Why is it important for her to make this observation? Within your own family or community, have you seen examples that reflect this sentiment?
8. In China, the historical favoritism for boy children has led to terrible consequences for girls and to broad social issues. Are there any harmful traditions in or aspects of your own culture that affected you or people who you know?
9. Have you traveled to China or Taiwan or studied their history? If so, what were some interesting experiences or observations that you encountered? Or, if you haven't, what did you find most interesting in this book?
10. What did you think of the ending of the novel? Would you have changed anything about it? If so, what?
11. What are some of the most pressing injustices that continue to affect women and girls today? What do you think we can do to change them?

Please see the full book club kit for Daughters of Shandong here.

A timeline for the novel is also available, as is an interactive map.

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.