All We Were Promised

What was your biggest takeaway from All We Were Promised? Talk about the thematic meaning and symbolism of the title. What is the “all” at the heart of this novel?

Talk about what freedom looks like for Charlotte, Nell, and Evie in Philadelphia. How does it live up to, or fall short of, what they imagined? What is each of them willing to risk to be—and remain—free?

Discuss the novel’s narrative style. What storytelling techniques, from foreshadowing to cliff-hanger chapter endings, kept you turning the pages? You may choose to share some of your favorite lines of dialogue, characterizations, or descriptions as well.

The White Oaks plantation is at the dark heart of All We Were Promised. Discuss the ways in which this landscape functions as a character, or even a character witness, in this novel. How do Charlotte and her father, as well as Evie and even her mistress, reckon with it?

What does All We Were Promised have to say about the nature of tragedy and triumph, betrayal and forgiveness, in a family? Between friends? In an entire nation?

This novel brings to life a time of social injustice and racial tensions in pre–Civil War America. Take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come from that era until now—and/ or the ways in which our country continues to struggle with the issue of race to this day.

Several of the characters in All We Were Promised have disagreements about the best way to push for social change and fight against unjust laws. What does the novel have to say about civil disobedience, lobbying, philanthropy, and other strategies, and how do those debates resonate in the present day?

All We Were Promised explores the experiences of women who defy societal expectations and norms. What challenges did the female characters in this novel face that their male counterparts did not?

If you had the chance to ask the author one question about All We Were Promised— about the inspiration for her story, the writing process, or her personal background— what might it be?

We are taught, as young readers, that every story has a moral, or a lesson about our humanity that is ultimately revealed. What did you learn about the world or yourself after reading this book? And do you have any questions that still remain?