Before We Were Yours

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How does Avery’s investigation into her grandmother’s past affect her views on her own life and family legacy?
• Compare Before We Were Yours to Lisa Wingate’s 2020 novel, The Book of Lost Friends. How do both novels delve into the nuances of familial relationships amid hardship? 

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

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

• Consider the deep bond that Rill and Fern share, and compare their connection to an important relationship in your own life. In your experience, do moments of shared suffering forge stronger connections, or do they weaken the ties of family and friendship? 
• Avery’s relationship with Judy is fraught with a complex mixture of love and the anguish of unanswered questions. Is there an important person in your own family whose past remains unclear? What questions would you ask this person, and how would their answers affect your understanding of your own family history?
• Avery embarks upon an emotional journey of discovery through her investigations of Judy’s past. In your opinion, is she working toward a necessary revelation, or are some secrets better left untold?
• Throughout Rill/May’s experiences, she undergoes a profound transformation. While her situation is unique, how does her account reflect the bitterness of disillusionment that comes to every child who is confronted with the darker aspects of the world?

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

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

• Consider the plight of the Foss siblings. How does the author use Miss Tann’s reprehensible practices to create a nuanced critique of class-based inequities?
• What implicit commentary does the novel make about the innate bonds of families of origin? Be sure to consider the experiences of at least three characters.
• The premise of the novel allows the author to explore a wide range of injustices. Choose one of the novel’s antagonists (Miss Tann or Mr. Riggs) or one of the morally ambiguous characters, such as Mrs. Sevier and analyze how this person’s actions and motivations illustrate the darker aspects of an often-overlooked social issue or taboo topic.

4. Literary Analysis 

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

• How does the author use alternating narratives to blend the past with the present and imbue the story with mystery?
• Analyze Rill’s transition from her childhood self to the person named “May.” What key moments drive this shift, and why does she ultimately decide to embrace this new persona as her personal identity?
• Compare the young Rill’s descriptions of the river with the adult May’s use of it as a meeting point. How does the river serve as a unifying force throughout the narrative, and what implicit connotations does it hold for the Foss siblings? 
• Analyze Avery’s relationship with her grandmother. Why is she so focused on uncovering Judy’s hidden past?
• Consider the author’s oblique references to the violence that Riggs perpetrates against Camellia. How does Rill’s imperfect understanding of the situation intensify the narrative in ways that a blow-by-blow description would not? 

5. Creative Engagement 

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Imagine a moment in which an adult Rill (May) has the chance to reconnect with her long-lost brother, Gabion. Write either a letter from her point of view or craft a scene in which they both meet again after a lifetime apart. What might she tell him, and how might he respond?
• The retrospective portions of the novel are told from Rill’s perspective. Choose two pivotal scenes and retell them from Fern’s point of view. How might she perceive certain events differently from Rill? 

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