Why do you think the author chose to use a first-person plural (also known as a "collective narrator") point of view for the book? Does it work for you as a reader? Why or why not?
To what extent and in what ways are the experiences of immigrant women distinct from those of their daughters, granddaughters, etc. and from the men in the lives?
Do you recognize the experiences of any of your friends or family in the characters that the author portrays?
How is the experience of nostalgia the same and different among first generation immigrants and the generations that follow?
On page 15, “Musical Chairs” symbolize the swapping of names and misidentification of the characters in the book. “Our teachers call on Nadira but stare at Anjali.” What lesson(s) can you take away from this? How important is a name to an identity?
How does the setting of Queens, NY, affect the narration of the book?
What would you say to a friend to encourage them to read this book?
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Garner, Dwight. "‘Brown Girls,’ a Daring Debut That Follows Its Characters Through Life and Beyond." The New York Times, 27 Dec. 2021. www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/books/review-brown-girls-daphne-palasi-andreades.html
Goyal, Sana. "Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades - raised by Queens." The Guardian, 23 Feb. 2022. www.theguardian.com/books/2022/feb/23/brown-girls-by-daphne-palasi-andreades-review-raised-by-queens
This link will run a search in the MLA International Bibliography database to find scholarly journal articles about the use of first-person plural narration in works of fiction.
