Early on in the book, when talking about her birth, Nikki claims that Harlem is part of who she is. How is the setting of Harlem significant to Nikki’s life story? What are some of the defining experiences Nikki has in Harlem, and how do they shape her?

The first apartment that Nikki lives in is a “railroad flat,” and she uses this to foreshadow all the traveling by train that she does later in her life. Explore the recurring motif of train journeys; what ideas of home and stability does it call to?

How is Nikki’s identity as a Black person important to the narrative? Trace some of the memories and experiences she has that speak to this, and examine how they impact her view of herself, the world she lives in, and the direction that her life takes.