Nappily Ever After (Thomas)

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for Nappily Ever After:

1. Talk about the significance for the African-American culture of so-called "good" hair. Why does Venus decide to cut it off? How do you feel about the reactions of her lover, friends and family to her shorn hair?

2. What does all this (in #1, above) say about the role of female beauty in the African-American culture? Is the emphasis on appearance different from the larger US (or world) culture?

3. Discuss the rivalry between Venus and Kandi, Venus's replacement in Clint's affections. You might even talk about the two names and what they could suggest about the women.

4. How do you feel about the main characters? We are meant, of course, to sympathsize with Venus, but is there sympathy for Kandi...or Clint?

5. What does Venus learn by the end of the book? And the others—what, if anything, do they learn?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

top of page