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The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster
One estranged family. One lost recipe. One last barbecue on the line. Mae is about to learn what happens when things go south...
Mae Townsend has always dreamed of connecting with her estranged Black family in the South. She grew up picturing relatives who looked like her, crowded dinner tables, bustling kitchens. And, of course, the Townsend family barbecue, the tradition that kept her late father flying to North Carolina year after year, despite the mysterious rift that always required her to stay behind.
But as Mae's wedding draws closer, promising a future of always standing out among her white in-laws, suddenly not knowing the Townsends hits her like a blow. So when news arrives that her paternal grandmother has passed, she decides it's time to head South.
What she finds is a family in turmoil, a long-standing grudge intact, a lost mac & cheese recipe causing grief, and a family barbecue on the brink of disaster. Not willing to let her dreams of family slip away, Mae steps up to throw a barbecue everyone will remember.
For better or for worse.
These book club questions are from the publisher, Sourcebooks.
Book club questions for The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster by Shauna Robinson
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
Discuss Mae’s initial perception of the Townsends and their annual barbecue. Did she romanticize them? In what ways did they fall short of her expectations?
Characterize Mae and Connor’s relationship. What do you like about it?
Imagine your own family’s potluck. What dishes set the scene? What would you bring?
Consider Mae’s reasons for distrusting Connor’s parents. Why is she so concerned about becoming a part of their family?
There are a few reasons for the rift between Mae’s parents’ families. Which is the biggest reason for their discord?
Discuss the ways, large and small, that racism appears in the book. How does Mae handle it?
Mae is desperate to feel like a part of the Townsend family. What are a few of the ways she tries to win them over?
Althea Townsend was the heart of the Townsends. Is there one person who sits at the center of your family?
Compare Mae and Sierra. In what ways are they similar?
The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster Book Club Questions PDF
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