Topic 1

Who is Mama Day? How do people on the island regard her, and why? What is her role and how did she gain it? What are her gifts? How does she view and use her influence and/or power? How does she use this power during the novel, and what are the consequences? How does she feel about this?

Topic 2

Discuss the relationship between George and Cocoa. What do they have in common, and what are their differences? Each of them struggles with their sense of identity. Why? What keeps them together? What lessons do they learn through their relationship? How do they communicate through the course of the novel? What sacrifices do they make for one another?

Topic 3

How does Ruby view the world around her? What does she do to get what she desires? Are her methods successful? What are the consequences of her...