Allegedly

Orange Is the New Black meets Walter Dean Myer's Monster in this gritty, twisty, and haunting debut by Tiffany D. Jackson about a girl convicted of murder seeking the truth while surviving life in a group home.

Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn't say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary, and the jury made it official. But did she do it?

There wasn't a point to setting the record straight before, but now she's got Ted - and their unborn child - to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary's fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?

These book club questions are from the publisher, HarperCollins Publishers.

Book club questions for Allegedly by Tiffany D Jackson

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

Do you believe a person can be “born bad”?

What social support does Mary have/not have in the home? What draws her to Ted?

Unpack the way cleaning works as a metaphor in the story. In your opinion, can past actions make a person morally “clean” or “dirty”?

What are some of the warning signs that something isn’t quite right with Momma?

What can you infer about Ted when Mary goes looking for him and is met with the comments, “Not again,” and “You one of his girls?” (p. 196)? What does this reveal about Mary and her ability to correctly discern the character of those closest to her?

With respect to caregiving, what do Ms. Claire and Ms. Cora provide for Mary that Momma does not?

How do Ted’s expectations of adult life differ from his reality? What are some of the ways he is forced to grow up faster than he might have if his circumstances were different?

Compare and contrast the two Thanksgiving celebrations. How might holiday celebrations influence an individual’s sense of belonging and acceptance?

Compare and contrast Mary and New Girl in respect to their relationships with their parents. How are they seen as the same by those around them, and also revealed to be vastly different through the story’s narration?

What is the role of forgiveness in the story? Do any of the characters forgive those who have wronged them? In your opinion, do you think forgiveness is possible?

Allegedly Book Club Questions PDF

Click here for a printable PDF of the Allegedly discussion questions