Do Not Say We Have Nothing

How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to "get into it"?

Big Mother describes her sister, Swirl, as the love of her life. How does this novel explore the bonds of familial love and romantic love? Is love a refuge or a dangerous political sentiment?

Are the main characters dynamic—changing or maturing by the end of the book? Do they learn about themselves, how the world works and their role in it?

Classical music is a major theme in the novel, with Glenn Gould’s two recordings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations being one of the most importance pieces. What role does music – recorded or performed – play in the lives of the characters? Did you listen to any of the music as you were reading the book?

What main ideas—themes—does the author explore? Does the author use symbols to reinforce the main ideas?

Do Not Say We Have Nothing has many important characters. There is no single protagonist, or else there are several protagonists in several overlapping stories. Who did you think was a ‘main’ character? Were you more interested in one particular character above others?

Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?

Is Do Not Say We Have Nothing a work of historical or contemporary fiction? What do you understand these terms to mean?