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Python's Kiss Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

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Python's Kiss by Louise Erdrich

Python's Kiss

Stories

by Louise Erdrich
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  • First Published:
  • Mar 24, 2026, 240 pages
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Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Ojibwe Values Pertaining to the Natural World and our BookBrowse Review of Python's Kiss.


Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

These are original discussion questions written by BookBrowse.
  1. How does having an adult narrate the first story, reflecting on a memory from childhood, set the tone for Python's Kiss? How did viewing the story through the eyes of a child make you feel about Nero's desperation?
  2. Why do you think Nora chose to leave out the story of her and Samuel in the second story, "Wedding Dresses"? How do you think Martha would have reacted?
  3. Why do you think Uncle Ivek has never been able to get over the day of the blizzard, even though he and the children survived? Has there been a fateful event in your life that still causes you to agonize over the what if? Or do you think it's better to let these things go?
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  1. How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
  2. What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
  3. Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?


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

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