1.      What did you think about the structure of the novel, with each chapter following a different descendant of two sisters? Did it add to or detract from the story?

2.      Which of the characters’ stories did you find the most compelling? The least?

3.      Examine the relationships between parents and children in the book. How would you characterize these relationships? Do the children seem to understand their parents and have good relationships with them and vice versa? Do the characters’ views of their parents change or evolve as they grow up? How do the characters’ relationships with their parents influence the way that they raise their own children?

4.      Akosua Mensah insists to James, “I will be my own nation” (99)? What role do patriotism, heritage, and tradition play in contributing to the injustices, prejudices, and violence depicted in the book?

5.      What do you think Akua’s dreams mean? Who is the woman made of fire?

6.      What is history according to Yaw? What does he tell his students is “the problem of history” (226)? Who does Yaw say we believe when reading historical texts and what does he say is the question we must ask when studying history?

7.      According to Akua: “sometimes you cannot see that the evil in the world began as the evil in your own home.” Where do you find examples that support this view in the book?

8.      Yaw struggles with choosing a title for his book, first working with “Let the Africans Own Africa”, then ultimately settling on “The Ruin of a Nation Begins in the Homes of Its People”.
Why did the former title “offend” him? And why do you think he chose the latter?

9.      Fire is frequently mentioned within different symbolic contexts in the novel. What are the positive and negative connotations of fire? What do you think fire symbolizes in the novel?

10.  How does the concept of "homegoing" (the belief that upon death, an enslaved person's spirit would return to Africa) play a role in the novel? How does this belief connect different characters and generations?

11.   What is the significance of Marcus and Marjorie visiting Cape Coast together, especially when they are at the Castle?

12.   Discuss the fates of the black stones that are passed down to Effia and Esi. What do you think is the significance of the stones?