Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- How does Lucy's identity as a Caribbean citizen influence her perspective on the U.S.?
- Why is the relationship between Lucy and Mariah so strained at times?
- How does the first person point-of-view impact our reading of the novel? How might the novel be different if it were told from, say, Mariah's perspective?
- How have Lucy's experiences growing up under colonial rule affected who she is and how she sees the world?
- Why is Lucy so obsessed with thinking about her mother and her past in general?
- Does Lucy enjoy her time in the U.S.? Why or why not?
- At the end of the novel, Lucy doesn't seem particularly happy. So why does she decide to stay in the U.S.?
- What attracts Lucy to photography and the visual arts? What does her hobby tell us about her?
- Does Lucy's race play a role in how other characters treat her? Why are Lucy's references to her skin color so few and far between?
- Do you think Lucy's critical tone or point of view alienates readers? Or do you think her honesty endears readers to her?