Murray’s novel includes many famous artists of the Harlem Renaissance. What is the inspiration for and effect of this choice?

Will emerges as a morally ambiguous character. How does the novel balance this moral ambiguity? How does the character of Will embody some of the contradictions and complexities within social justice movements?

What are some of the different views within the book of The Value and Purpose of Art? How does the novel make room for contradictory views on this question? Does any one view win out in the end?

Many famous figures only have brief cameos in the novel. What is the effect of including many minor characters who had a major impact on the Harlem Renaissance?

Historically speaking, Fauset moved to Harlem with her sister, not her stepmother. Why do you think Murray made this significant change in her historical fiction? What are some effects of her choice?

How do poetry and music overlap and inform one another within the Harlem Renaissance, as depicted in this novel?

How do sexism and racism intersect in Jessie’s experience? How are her struggles as a Black woman different from those of the Black men and white women she interacts with?

Both Jessie’s and Countee’s fathers are reverends. How does their work in the church, and Christianity as a whole, influence the story?