Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?

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

1. Kitty makes the difficult decision to pass as white, gaining access to privileges and opportunities while losing connection to her identity and family. Have you ever had to hide or downplay an aspect of your identity to gain acceptance or advantage in a particular environment? How did that experience compare to Kitty’s?

2. When Elise posts about racial issues on social media, her publicist deletes the content because it’s “off-brand” (96). Have you ever faced pressure to remain silent about issues that matter to you for professional or social reasons? How did you navigate that tension?

3. The gold ball earrings symbolize family legacy throughout the novel. Is there an object or heirloom in your family that carries significant meaning? How does it connect you to your past?

4. Sarah tells Elise that she fears that “unleashing this story exposes the White roots that burrow, snake, and choke” (366). Have you ever discovered uncomfortable truths about your family history? How did you process that information and decide what to do with it?

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

1. The novel refers to historical events like the Montgomery bus boycott and the murder of Emmett Till, alongside modern events like Colin Kaepernick’s protest and the Charlottesville rally. What do these parallels suggest about how racism has evolved in America? Has it fundamentally changed or merely adapted?

2. Blair House represents an underground network of Black women working to advance civil rights while navigating being both Black and female. How does this depiction compare to modern movements addressing similar issues?

3. Throughout the novel, characters like Nathan and Rebecca dismiss racism as something that only “real racists” like KKK members engage in, while themselves perpetuating structural racism. How does this mindset continue to impede progress on racial equality today?

4. Emma’s rules for passing highlight the additional burdens placed on women who were passing. How do these rules reflect societal expectations for women that still exist today, regardless of race?

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

1. The concept of “passing” has a long history in American literature. How does Paul’s treatment of this theme compare to other works like James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half, Nella Larsen’s Passing, or Charles Chesnutt’s The House Behind the Cedars?

2. The narrative shifts between Kitty’s and Elise’s perspectives across different time periods. How do the past and present viewpoints show parallels between forms of racism and resistance?

3. Kitty creates the pen name “Hanes Austen” to get her screenplay produced. How does this fictional persona reflect the novel’s discussion of identity, authenticity, and compromise?

4. At the end, Elise makes a different choice than her grandmother by publicly revealing Kitty’s true identity. What does this suggest about the relationship between personal sacrifice and social progress?