Homeward

The country is changing, and her own world is being turned upside down. Nothing—and no one—will ever be the same.

Georgia, 1962. Rose Perkins Bourdon returns home to Parsons, GA, without her husband and pregnant with another man’s baby. After tragedy strikes her husband in the war overseas, a numb Rose is left with pieces of who she used to be and is forced to figure out what she is going to do with the rest of her life. Her sister introduces her to members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee—young people are taking risks and fighting battles Rose has only seen on television. Feeling emotions for the first time in what feels like forever, the excited and frightened Rose finds herself becoming increasingly involved in the resistance efforts. And of course, there is also the young man, Isaac Weinberg, whose passion for activism stirs something in her she didn’t think she would ever feel again.

Homeward follows Rose’s path toward self-discovery and growth as she becomes involved in the Civil Rights Movement, finally becoming the woman she has always dreamed of being.

These book club discussion questions were provided by Harper Muse.

Book club questions for Homeward by Angela Jackson-Brown

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

Homeward begins with controversy. In what ways does the initial news Rose has to share with her family affect your opinion of her?

Discuss the mourning practices illustrated in Homeward. Do they feel familiar or different from the ways you or people from your community mourn death?

In James Baldwin’s 1963 book, The Fire Next Time, he addresses what he views as “the detriment of Christianity to the Black community.” In comparison, how would you describe this author’s depiction of the Black church in Homeward?

Depictions of the Civil Rights Movement are often misleading, such as the level of support from members of the Black community. Evidence shows that many members of the Black community were hesitant to support Dr. King and members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). When you saw that Rose’s family was hesitant to get involved, what were your thoughts and how did their hesitancy measure up with what you knew or didn’t know about that time in history?

Opal and Cedric were teenagers in When Stars Rain Down. How has their love evolved over time, and how has that love affected the relationships their children have with their spouses, specifically Rose?

Often, the women of the Civil Rights Movement are omitted or downplayed. In what ways did the author highlight those women in Homeward?

Discuss how historical events like the assassination of Medgar Evers affected the civil rights efforts taking place in Parsons, Georgia.

Rose finds herself falling in love with a nice Jewish boy. Although their relationship is not explored fully in this book, what are your thoughts about their relationship? Do you think they will still be together twenty years into the future?

HBCUs were integral to the Civil Rights Movement. What are your thoughts about the depiction of these young movers and shakers? Were you surprised by their involvement, or did this novel confirm what you already knew?

The Vietnam War was still in its infancy in this novel. What did this story reveal to you about the role poverty played in the enlistment of men in the military both then and even now?

Homeward Book Club Questions PDF

Click here for a printable PDF of the Homeward discussion questions

“This is a harrowing novel about the push and pull of fidelity, family, and faith under the crush of history. Angela Jackson-Brown has written a deeply emotional novel that feels timeless while also speaking to the particularly troubled times in which we live.”

—Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of When Ghosts Come Home

“With a strong sense of place and well-developed characters ... a compelling story about racism, love,community, and the strength it takes to reject a false sense of peace and move toward a better future. As Rose’s family reckons with their choices, she wages a personal battle of discovering her own worth and her purpose in her life.”

—Booklist

“An emotionally captivating historical fiction novel ...”
— SheReads