Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Cane River covers about 100 years of history in the lives of four generations of women. Which generation’s story did you find most compelling, and why?

2. Why is Philomene’s story the longest? Did the greater focus on Philomene detract from or enhance your enjoyment of the book?

3. Cane River is an example of metafiction in which Tademy combines historical documents with a fictional narrative in order to bring the truths behind those documents to life. How does the presence of the documents in the novel influence your reading experience?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Starting with Elisabeth’s advice to Suzette—“There is no fair. Just do your work” (14)—the novel features many examples of one generation giving advice to another. What advice has the older members of your family given to you? What was their single most useful life lesson, and why?

2. In certain moments, the older women are unable to provide advice, as when Suzette cannot help Philomene to avoid Narcisse’s sexual coercion. When did the previous generations have no good answers for you, and how did you respond?

3. Elisabeth has a long-desired reunion with Yellow John, but the joy she experiences is tempered by her anger over losing so many years with him. What meaningful reunions have shown you that same combination of sweetness and bitterness? How did you come to terms with your contradictory feelings?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Elisabeth describes what happened to the women and children of her family as a “bleaching of the line” (382). Colorism is still present in communities of color, especially in terms of modern-day beauty standards. What does the novel imply about the origins of this phenomenon?

2. After Emancipation, Doralise, Emily, and Philomene face limitations in what they can accomplish despite their legal status as free women. Where (if at all) do you see similar dynamics for women today?

3. Emily condemns the ineffectiveness of T.O.’s lawsuit as the “man’s way” and sees the “woman’s way” as more pragmatic and goal-oriented. How accurate is her assessment, given the context that women in her time had fewer legal rights? In modern times, do men and women still operate differently when faced with challenges or injustices?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Review one or more chapters in which Tademy includes historical documents. How does the information in these documents compare to the details of the narrative?

2. The moonlight chair appears several times. How does the meaning of the chair change over time?

3. Consider Emily’s arc. Her story begins with her worry over the women in her family meeting Joseph and ends with her attempts to pass as white, along with the note about her death. Why might Tademy have chosen to end the novel there rather than with T.O. and Geneva’s family?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you had just two lines to come up with an alternative ending for the novel, what would they be?

2. Quilts, rocking chairs, rosebushes, and portraits are the stuff of family life and history in the novel. Bring in a picture or an object that you associate with your family. What family stories does it represent? Why is it precious to you or your family?

3. Tademy has written a second novel—Red River—that focuses on her father’s side of the family. Now that you have read Cane River, what do you expect such a novel to include? What contrasts do you expect to find between the novels?