Red River

The story focuses primarily on the male members of the Tademy family. Why, then, did the author include two sections written from Polly’s perspective? What role do the other female characters play in the story?

McCully and Sam express two different views on how to promote the best interests of the black community, yet they remain friends and work together. How do their views differ, and how do they overlap? How do you think these two characters developed these differing views?

Sam often repeats the refrain “make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.” What characters do this, and what obstacles do they overcome?

One of the major events in the second half of the book involves Ted and his group of friends going to see Duke Ellington. What does Duke Ellington represent to the black community in Colfax? Why is it significant that the concert was open to whites only?

Many side characters don’t get their own stories as the narrative focuses exclusively on the Tademys and the Smiths. Why do you think the author made this decision? Do you agree with this style? Are there any characters you would like to know more about?

The author wrote this book about her family. In what way does it resemble a story passed down through the family? Especially in the second part, how does it resemble an oral history?

In the author’s note, Lalita Tademy explains how she had difficulty getting her family members to talk about the events of the past, including the truth of the Colfax Massacre. How does this point relate to the themes of the book itself? Why do you think she encountered this resistance? How is this behavior historically significant?

Research a historical event involving a minority group. How is the group portrayed in the historical record? How could this portrayal have been twisted? What perspectives may have been lost?