These Heathens Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Collier Heights, Atlanta's Black Enclave and our BookBrowse Review of These Heathens.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

These are original discussion questions written by BookBrowse.

1. Did you have any experiences when you were younger that opened your eyes to the wider world and made you think differently about cultural or social issues, the way Doris is changed by her experiences in Atlanta?
2. What did you think about the conversations surrounding civil rights in the book, particularly those pertaining to segregation and integration? Did you understand Sylvia Broussard's concerns about integrated schools and restaurants?
3. Had you heard of Collier Heights before reading These Heathens? What did you think of the town? Did you do any further research to learn more about it?

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