These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Personal Response Prompt

What does the word “home” mean to you? Is it a physical place, or is it the people surrounding you? Imagine that you and your family are moving to a foreign country where you don’t know the language, the culture, or the people. How would you feel? What items would you bring with you to ease the transition into your new environment? How would you prepare for this new journey? Could this new place become your home? Explain why or why not.

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to use this question to explore their emotions tied into the concept of “home.” Not all the questions in the prompt need to be answered; rather, they can be a jumping-off point for this exploratory free-writing session.

Post-Reading Analysis

By the end of the novel, most of the Price family has chosen to spend the majority of their lives in Africa. Using your reflection from the personal response prompt, talk about what “home” signifies for the Price family. How does the idea of home function for the people of both Kilanga and the wider Congo, particularly as it relates to the call for independence? Are the characters’ ideas of home similar to your concept of home as explained in your personal response above? Was your idea of home influenced in any way by the story? If so, how?