River Sing Me Home

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism and emotional abuse.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the Prologue’s collective voice (“we”) set your expectations for the rest of the novel, and how did this narrative choice impact your overall experience with Rachel’s story?

2. Eleanor Shearer depicts several different paths to freedom throughout the novel. Which character’s approach to seeking freedom resonated with you most, and why? If you’ve read Marlon James’s The Book of Night Women, which also deals with enslavement in the Caribbean, how does its treatment of liberty compare?

3. River Sing Me Home has been compared to Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad in its exploration of a mother’s desperate journey to find her children in the aftermath of slavery. How do these works differ in their approach to depicting the quest for freedom and the legacy of familial separation?

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

1. Mama B teaches Rachel about interconnectivity. When have you experienced a profound sense of connection that transcended time, place, or circumstance? How did that experience impact you?

2. Throughout the novel, characters struggle with whether to embrace or reject painful memories. How can one best navigate the balance between remembering difficult experiences and moving forward, in your opinion?

3. Rachel demonstrates remarkable determination in her quest to find her children. When in your life have you persisted against overwhelming odds to achieve something that mattered deeply to you?

4. Mary Grace communicates powerfully without speaking for most of the novel. Have you ever experienced or witnessed nonverbal communication that conveyed more than words could express?

5. At the end of the novel, different characters join in song, each singing “not quite the same song” but creating harmony together (312). What role has music played in connecting you to your own cultural heritage or family traditions?

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

1. The novel is set during the apprenticeship period following the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act, revealing how this supposed “freedom” was another form of control. What parallels do you see between this historical transition and other instances where legal freedom has not translated to true liberation?

2. Cherry Jane chooses to “pass” as a wealthy multiracial woman, sacrificing her connection to her family for social advancement and protection. How does the novel’s portrayal of racial passing reflect the racial hierarchies of both the 19th-century Caribbean and societies today?

3. Shearer draws connections between the experiences of enslaved Africans and Indigenous populations in the Caribbean through Nuno’s character. How does his inclusion enhance your understanding of the shared impact of colonialism across different groups?

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

1. Rivers serve as a symbol throughout the novel. How does Shearer use the Demerara River in particular to reflect Rachel’s journey and the novel’s themes?

2. The novel shifts narrative perspective only once—when Orion tells Micah’s story in his own voice using Caribbean English. What effect does this singular perspective shift have on your understanding of Micah and the rebellion he participated in?

3. Names and naming hold significant meaning throughout the novel. How does Shearer use names—from Rachel’s forgotten birth name to Mercy naming her son Micah—to explore identity and resistance?

4. How does the character of Nobody function within the narrative? What significance lies in his name, his relationship with Mary Grace, and his role in Rachel’s journey?

5. The novel ends with Rachel joining her family in song. How does this conclusion bring together the novel’s exploration of memory, connection, and freedom?

6. Mama B’s philosophy of interconnectivity serves as a central theme. How does this philosophy manifest in both the plot and the novel’s structure?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The author’s writing process for this novel drew from her own Caribbean heritage and family history. What aspects of your own family history would you explore if you were to write a historical novel?

2. Mary Grace regains her voice at the end of the novel to sing one of Quamina’s songs. What song would you choose to mark your own moment of personal triumph or liberation, and why?

Need more inspiration for your next meeting? Browse all of our Book Club Resources