READERS GUIDE

Questions and Topics for Discussion

What is food’s role in this novel? What does the narrator’s connection with food tell you about her? How does food feature in the narrator’s relation with her mother?

What is the role of money in this novel? How does money play into the journey of the narrator? How does it play into the relationship between the narrator and her lover? What do you think the author is trying to convey about capitalism?

Death and sex are juxtaposed constantly throughout the novel. What type of effect does this have on the reader?

What is the significance of this text being written in letters, and written in the second person? How does this impact the reading experience?

How does the narrator cultivate her identity? What is important to her? How do you think she would define herself?

What is the role of art in this novel? How are the short stories, videos, and other media the narrator evokes vital to understanding these characters, their connection to the world, and this novel?

What is the effect of only having the narrator’s perspective? How would the novel be different if each of the letters had responses?

What does the relationship between the narrator and her mother tell a reader about motherhood? Care? Love?

This novel is grounded in specific locations, but also has a sense of placelessness and wandering. How does this mirror the narrator’s experiences? What does this convey about immigrant identities? 

What role does yearning play in the narrator’s life? Where is this yearning expressed within the text? What do each of the characters yearn for?

How does queerness play a role in the novel, and how does it relate to the theme of yearning? Has your perception of queerness changed throughout? Why or why not?

Passion and love are central themes throughout the novel. What is the difference between passion and love? Where are these emotions infused in the text? How do they enhance the reader’s connection to the narrator?