Think about the themes of the biography. Why do you suppose these things, love, respect, and freedom, are so important? Do you think they would still be important to Amos, if he had not been a slave?

Do you think the book would have been as easy to read if it had been more of a straightforward non-fiction narration? Do you think the writer placing herself into the mind of Amos and Violet was appropriate to the genre? What if she had written it in another style? Would you have felt the same way about Amos?

Discuss slavery in the Southern states, as compared to slavery in the Eastern states. Is there a difference in the way the slaves were treated? Does this difference have anything to do with the time period? Or is it the differences in the attitudes of the people who were...