My Sister, the Serial Killer

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What is a literary “vignette”? What types of vignettes are there? What kinds of effects might be created by constructing a narrative from vignettes?

Teaching Suggestion: My Sister, the Serial Killer is made up of vignettes rather than more traditional scenes and chapters. If your students are unfamiliar with this form, you can offer them the resources listed below before they attempt to consider the possible effects of structuring a novel from vignettes. If they are struggling to infer how the use of vignettes might impact the reader, you might explain that vignettes are like still photographs of a moment in time—so reading a narrative composed of vignettes is like scrolling through photos rather than seeing a complete film.

• This entry from LiteraryTerms offers a definition and examples of the vignette form.
• This vignette, “Salvador Late or Early,” by Sandra Cisneros, illustrates the power of the form.

2. Where is Lagos? What are some characteristics of this city? To what does the term “noir” refer in literature? What would you expect from a genre called “Nigerian Noir” or “Lagos Noir”?

Teaching Suggestion: Braithwaite’s novel is set in Lagos, Nigeria. It is part of a genre of Nigerian crime fiction referred to as “Nigerian Noir” (or sometimes “Lagos Noir,” to acknowledge the genre’s interest in how the city influences character.) Students are unlikely to be familiar with this genre of writing, although they may have viewed examples of Nigerian Noir cinema, which has recently become popular on some streaming services. The resources below will help students become more familiar with Lagos, Nigerian Noir fiction, and the broader context of Nigerian literature.

• This six-minute video from Eboh Media offers an overview of Lagos.
• This eight-minute video explores the Lagos housing crisis and the failure of government to provide for ordinary citizens.
• This article by Paul French from Crime Reads explores the connection of Lagos to Nigerian Noir fiction.
• This article from The Booker Prize website, describes how Nigerian literature has developed over time and how Nigerian Noir can be contextualized within that development.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

Imagine that a person you love has done something terrible. How far would you go to help them out of trouble? Would you help them with a cover-up? Lie to authorities? Use your own resources—money, time, friendships, etc.—to help them? Explain where you think your own boundaries in a situation like this would be and why.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may engage more deeply with this prompt if they are encouraged to consider the idea of “boundaries” as it applies to each part of the prompt. How do they define “terrible,” and is there a dividing line between “terrible but I would still help” and “so terrible I can’t be involved”? What is their boundary for types of helping actions? Would they sacrifice their own reputations, their moral beliefs, their freedom, or their safety, or would they only help in ways that minimally impact themselves? Students may answer these questions more honestly in writing or in discussion with a small group or partner. The final part of the prompt is more suited to whole-class discussion. It asks students to explain their reasoning, giving them a chance to think about what various answers reveal about personality and moral beliefs.