Palaver

At the heart of Palaver is the bond between a mother and a son. Discuss their complex relationship. Where do you see moments of connection? When does their connection break down? How does their dynamic compare with the family relationships in your life?

“Look, said the son. I still don’t know why you came all the way here” (22). Why do you think the mother travels to Japan to see her son? How does her visit reshape their bond? What part of their time together resonated with you the most, and why?

Discuss the son’s search for home in Palaver. What compels him to leave Texas and move to Tokyo? When is Tokyo a home for him? When is it seemingly not a home? Have you ever moved far away to start fresh? If so, how do your experiences compare with what the son experiences in the novel?

“Lying isn’t helping any of us” (34), says the son to the mother—though this could apply to any number of characters. Choose someone from Palaver: the son, the mother, Taku, Ben, Stefan, Cheryl, Chris. When are they honest with themselves and those around them? When do they avoid the truth, and why might they do it?

The son’s love affair with Taku is a source of both bliss and uncertainty. How might the son describe their relationship at the beginning of Palaver? How might Taku? What do the son and Taku mean to each other by the end of the novel?

“That first week, the mother’s morning walks always led her back to Ben’s bistro” (77). Who is Ben? Discuss the mother’s evolving relationship with him. What draws you to them, and how does their connection change as they explore Tokyo? Did your view of Ben change as you learned more about him? If so, why?

Discuss the mother’s upbringing in Jamaica. How do her formative years—in particular, her friendship with Cheryl and her close bond with her brother, Stefan—influence her outlook on life and her relationship with her son?

“I’m leaving . . . And I want you to come, but only if you want to” (103). Revisit the ultimatum that Cheryl proposes to the mother in Jamaica. How did you feel about the mother’s decision? If you were in the mother’s shoes, how would you respond?

The son’s chance encounter with Tej outside Alan’s bar soon develops into something deeper. Discuss their blossoming romance. What shared experiences unite them? What does Tej provide the son that he doesn’t get out of his other relationships?

Throughout Palaver are evocative black-and-white snapshots of daily life in Japan. Discuss this visual technique. Which images most caught your eye, and why? What role do the photos play in the story, and how did they illuminate your reading experience?

A major event at Shinjuku Station on page 261 prompts the son to question just how much control we have over our lives. Choose a character from Palaver. When are they in control? When is their life seemingly beyond their control? Have you ever felt your control slip out from under you? How do your experiences compare with what occurs in the novel?

Discuss the importance of Alan’s bar in Palaver. What does the space represent to the son and his friends? What types of support and belonging does Alan provide his regulars, and what do they provide him in return? Do you have any spaces like this in your life? Tell your book club about them.

The novel concludes with a pair of letters: one from Chris to the son, and the other from the son to Chris. What do you think Chris says in his letter? What do you think the son says in response?

“But then, you kept showing up. And you showed up for other people, too . . . And that’s when I started to really see you . . . Family, said Alan, smiling” (288). Palaver movingly explores the meaning of family, from those we’re born into to those we create. Discuss the different families you see in the novel. When do these families show up for each other? When do they struggle to show up? How do they compare to the different families in your life—both biological and found?