Throughout the novel, August says, “This is memory.” What is the significance of these lines? How do you interpret them in light of the fact that August forgot her mother’s death for the better part of her childhood? 

August, Sylvia, and Angela come to Brooklyn by way of the global South (Tennessee, Martinique, and South Carolina, respectively). How do these characters’ pasts inform their lives in Brooklyn? What changes do they experience? How does this reflect on African American experience in the 20th century?

Discuss the importance of hair in this text. August’s father cannot do her hair, so she must go to a salon until she meets Sister Loretta. She is fascinated by her friends’ hair as well as Sister Loretta’s hair. Why is well-kempt hair so important to August’s sense of identity and wellbeing?