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Archer Book Club: September 2020

Welcome to the Archer Book Club, or the ABC!

Selection of the Month

 

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Image: Penguin House Australia 

Effia and Esi: two sisters with two very different destinies. One sold into slavery; one a slave trader's wife. The consequences of their fate reverberate through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the cotton-picking plantations of Mississippi; from the missionary schools of Ghana to the dive bars of Harlem, spanning three continents and seven generations, Yaa Gyasi has written a miraculous novel - the intimate, gripping story of a brilliantly vivid cast of characters and through their lives the very story of America itself.

 - Penguin Books

The e-book or audio book for Homegoing is available through the following:

Discussion Points

  • Why do you think the author assigned a chapter to each of the major characters? 
  • Does any single point of view seem to stand out among the rest or do you believe that the author presented a balanced point of view?
  • Sonny says that the problem in America “wasn’t segregation but the fact that you could not, in fact, segregate”? What does he mean by this?
  • Re:segregation and racism, does there seem to be any progress as the story goes on? If so, how is progress achieved? Alternatively, what stymies and slows progress in this area?
  • Who does Yaw say we believe when reading historical texts and what does he say is the question we must ask when studying history? How might these ideas influence your own reading of Gyasi’s book and reshape your ideas about the historical subjects and themes treated therein?
  • Why do you think that the author chose the word Homegoing?

Zoom Meeting Information

Zoom information will be provided closer to the planned meeting: 12:00pm-1:00pm, September 23, 2020.