Kin

1. We are all born into stories that are already underway. Do you think Annie's and Vernice's trajectories were ordained by the mothers they never knew? How much are their paths paved by their own decisions? What role does chance play in their journeys?

2. Annie and Vernice are both motherless, but their circumstances are different. Vernice knows that she will never see her mother again, but Annie harbors hope for a reunion. Which of them is in a better position?

3. On page 50 Babydoll attempts to demonstrate that she has Annie all figured out. She describes her as shy and callsher a princess. Annie thinks to herself, "Nobody would for one second think to call me shy if I stood next to Niecy .. " (50). In what ways do Niecy and Annie need each other to define themselves?

4. Why is it so hard for Irene to tell Vernice she loves her?

5. Issues such as domestic violence, LGBTQIA+ rights, and reproductive justice play a significant role in this story, which is set decades before these topics were talked about publicly. How have things changed since then, and how are they similar?

6. On the way to Spelman, Vernice is kicked off the bus for accidentally sitting in the white section. A Black man comes to her "rescue" and slaps her-he claims for her protection-but Vernice senses something more menacing. What do you believe is his motivation? Is this violence different from the time in her childhood when Irene slaps her?

7. Dignity is a recurring theme in KIN. In what ways dothe characters seek to have dignity even though they live in a world that is determined to degrade them?

8. There are light sprinkles of magical realism in this book. How did mentions of ghosts and superstition enhance your reading experience? What is the difference between superstition, spirituality, and religion?

9. Why do you think Spelman is a "hellhole" to Joette (133)? Why doesn't Vernice feel the same way?

10. How are Lulabelle and Mrs. McHenry similar as found mothers?

11. When Vernice and Mrs. McHenry meet for the first time, Mrs. McHenry's intense interest in Vernice almost overwhelms her (154). Why do you think it was such a memorable experience to have someone's undivided attention? Can there be "love at first sight" outside of the realm of romance?

12. There are so many different interpretations of love in this book: Joette and Vernice, Vernice and Franklin, Bobo and Annie, Babydoll and Clyde, Annie and Vernice. How do these different relationships explore love? Which was your favorite?

13. Is Bobo justified in leaving Annie?

14. Babydoll gives a biting review of Lulabelle: "She's a pimp ... A pimp will always give you what you need to stay alive. What's a pimp going to do with a dead whore? (197)" Do you agree? Does Lulabelle care about anyone more than profit? Does her affection for Annie excuse her other actions?

15. When Vernice and Franklin are courting, Franklin comes across a case involving orphaned children and he gets emotional, thinking of Vernice. As he cries, Vernice asks him, "Could you cry for Annie?" (214). What is the significance of this request?

16. Explore the concept of "contagious humiliation" regarding the young girl who needs to use the bathroom at the bus station where there are no toilets for Black people (241-243).

17. At the wedding, is Joette miserable because of her love for Vernice, or is her unhappiness due to something greater?

18. When Vernice seeks help for Annie, Mrs. McHenry warns her to turn away and "build a moat" between her and the mess ... (297). What do you think of that advice?

19. Were you surprised by the ending? Why or why not?

20. Use your imagination to project five years past the last page. What do you think the characters are up to?

Book Club Talking Points:
Tayari Jones writes about families in a way that feels painfully real & messy and layered. Kin gives you so much to talk about: loyalty, secrets, the ways we hurt the people we love without meaning to. It's one of those books where everyone in the group will see the characters differently, and the conversations will go way beyond "did you like it?" It just has that depth that makes a book club night really good.

"Kin is a lush, beautiful novel about the family we make... Jones maintains a light touch and a gift for effortless portraiture... When reading Kin, I wanted nothing more than to keep reading it. That's the circle Jones creates, the one that connects her voice, her characters and her readers." -Radhika Jones, The New York Times Book Review

"Propulsive and compelling." -The Boston Globe

"Jones's dazzling novel traces the complex range of the Black experience-rich and poor, queer and straight, blessed and cursed-in the Jim Crow South." -People

"One of the many pleasures of Kin is how deftly Jones builds the story within the context of the Jim Crow South in mid-twentieth century America... Another novelist might have made these broad social concerns the focus of the story, but Jones foregrounds her characters and lets them navigate these national tensions as naturally and confidently as they move through the streets of Atlanta and Memphis." -Ron Charles

"Kin is the kind of all-encompassing reading experience I'm always hoping to find: smart and funny and deftly profound. This is Tayari Jones's very best work." -Ann Patchett, author of Tom Lake

"A triumphant return of one of the most important literary voices today. Vibrant, funny, moving and powerful, Kin is an unforgettable read." -Nguy?n Phan Qu? Mai, author of The Mountains Sing

"A riveting and deeply moving portrait of indelible female friendship, found family and finding your way... This gorgeous novel already feels like a future classic." -Roisin O'Donnell, author of Nesting

"Beautifully written and powerfully compelling... Tayari Jones interrogates social injustice through the lens of personal relationships while exploring the ways in which it shapes those relationships, and she does this in language that is intimate, conversational, and musical all at once." -Kirkus (starred review)

"Jones delivers a triumphant novel of two motherless girls from rural Honeysuckle, Louisiana, who follow very different paths into adulthood... Throughout, Jones tells her protagonists' stories with grace, humor, and pathos. Kin is a tour de force." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Jones deftly coneys the nuances of Southern Black culture in this novel full of depth, pain, and beauty... A tender love song to southern Black families, communities, and female friendships." -Booklist (starred review)

"Tayari Jones once again stuns with a novel full of uninhibited love... Jones develops her protagonists' personalities slowly and with nuance, subtly evolving them into characters one just can't help but root for." -BookPage (starred review)

"Ambitious and accessible, emotionally challenging without pushing readers away... Kin shows off Jones's considerable skill through strong pacing and a plot that is emotionally taut without feeling unnecessarily dramatic. Without fail, Jones delivers a brilliant turn of phrase, at turns witty and insightful." -Shelf Awareness