My New American Life (Prose)

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 My New American Life:

1. Does this book shed any light on how US immigration works—its politics and process? How in have the events of 9/11 changed the climate for people like Lula? 

2.  Francine Prose's novel follows a time-honored literary device: an outsider who views the prevailing culture with new eyes—often holding up societal conventions for re-examination. How does Lula see the US—and what cultural assumptions does she offer up for satire? Are her observations funny...or not? What in particular struck you?

3. Follow-up to Questions #2: What does Lula admire most about the US? What puzzles her?

4. What was Lula's life like in Albania? 

5. Follow-up to Question #4: How does Lula's background affect her view of America (e.g., the game of musical chairs)? 

6. Lula draws astute comparisons between the US and the Balkans. What are some of the differences she comments on? Do those comparisons suggest any similarities (metaphorically or literally?) between the US and the Balkan countries?

7. At one point, Mr. Stanley refers to Lula as "our little Albanian pessimist." No, she quickly corrects him: she's simply a "realist." Who's right...and what is the difference between the two attitudes? How would you describe your attitude toward life?

8. Talk about the folk tales Lula passes off as true. Why does she do so? 

9. What about Lula and Alvo—how does she rationalize her relationship with him?

10. How do Lula's feelings toward Mr. Stanley and Zeke change? How does she come to view the idea of family and what it means to be part of one?

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

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