Seven Days in June

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

1. As a reader, would you be more drawn to Shane’s novels or to Eva’s? Why?

2. Shane and Eva both explore what it means to come home to something. What feels like “home” to you?

3. Both protagonists have adopted unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety and trauma. What coping mechanisms have you used in similar situations? Is there a healthier approach that you would recommend to these characters?

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

1. Consider the modern-day time period in which the primary narrative is set. How is Eva’s journey shaped by today’s dominant cultural attitudes? How might the narrative have been different if it were set 20 or even 50 years ago?

2. What aspects of Eva’s experience have been shaped by Black culture? What aspects of her experience are universal to women of any ethnicity?

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

1. Eva becomes subject to interpersonal and professional stigma. How is Shane complicit in this stigma, and how does he push back against it?

2. Compare and contrast Eva with her daughter Audre. How are their personalities similar, and what key differences separate mother and daughter?

3. Eva’s disability has an enormous yet externally imperceptible impact on her daily life. Do any of the other characters have invisible burdens that function in a similar way?

4. Why does Shane’s alcohol use have such a positive impact on his creative work? In the absence of alcohol, which specific personality traits or experiences are holding him back?