Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Jason Mott splits the narrative between the narrator’s escape to Europe and Soot’s psychological journey into his past. How did this dual structure affect your reading experience, and which storyline resonated with you more deeply?

2. For readers of Jason Mott’s previous work, how did the return of “The Kid” from Hell of a Book (2021) impact your experience with this novel? If you haven’t read his other work, did this intertextual link make you curious to explore it?

3. What was your reaction to the final metafictional twist, where the entire plot is revealed to be a story told by the author to a frightened teenager?

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

1. The novel’s characters are all searching for an “Other Continent” of belonging. If you were to imagine your own ideal place of safety and belonging, what would it look like or feel like?

2. The narrator frequently adopts the personas of other famous Black authors to navigate challenging social situations. Have you ever felt the need to perform or adopt a different persona to feel more comfortable or confident in a certain environment?

3. Frenchie’s offer of “The Big Score” promises complete safety and financial security, but at the cost of never returning home. What kind of sacrifices do you think are worth making for a sense of total security, and where would you draw the line?

4. Soot’s “time travel” is a powerful metaphor for being caught in a loop of memory and grief. Do you see memory more as a sanctuary to retreat into or as something that can sometimes feel like a prison?

5. The Goon, a Black Scotsman with American roots, feels a deep kinship with the narrator. Has a connection to your heritage ever made you feel a sense of belonging with people or places you’ve never directly experienced?

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

1. The novel taps into a long history of Black American expatriation, referencing artists like James Baldwin who sought refuge in Europe. Do you think Europe still functions as a potential haven from American racism and violence today? Why or why not?

2. The book portrays American gun violence not just as a series of events but as a pervasive psychological condition that shapes characters’ lives, from school drills to Dylan’s trauma. How does the novel’s depiction of this reality contribute to the current conversation around this issue?

3. In what ways does the novel’s use of the shifting phrase “people like us” reflect how communities are formed and defined in the real world?

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

1. Compare the journeys of the unnamed narrator and Soot. In what ways are their struggles similar, and how do their responses to trauma differ?

2. Remus is a complex figure who is both a menacing antagonist and a source of strange wisdom. What do you think his symbolic function is in the narrative, and what does he represent about the inescapable nature of American history?

3. What role does the motif of time travel play in the novel? Explore its various uses, both real and imagined, and discuss a theme that is conveyed through this motif.

4. This book is a work of metafiction, blurring the lines between the author, Jason Mott, and his narrator. How did this technique compare to other works that play with truth and fiction, like Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried (1990)? What broader message do these novels convey about the role of storytelling and fiction?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Frenchie’s library is designed to preserve the memory of a version of America he believes is dying. If you were tasked with creating a similar archive for a culture or community you care about, what three items would you choose as essential, and what story would they tell?

2. Soot describes his daughter, Mia, as a “born fixer.” If you could write a brief scene or memory from Mia’s perspective, what small or large problem would she be trying to solve, and what would it reveal about her?