1. Sameer says to Maryam that ‘If you don’t understand where you’ve come from, you’ll never really understand who you are or where you’re going’. Sameer is a second-generation immigrant, just like Hasan. To what extent do you think this has affected their sense of identity and belonging?

2. When Sameer tells Jeremiah that his grandfather met his wife for the first time on their wedding night, Jeremiah says that Sameer and his grandfather are a few generations apart. Do you think that the concept of duty and cultural expectation has changed from Hasan’s generation to Sameer’s generation, and if so, how?

3. In both narratives, the Asian protagonist’s closest friend is black. How are their relationships similar and in what ways do they differ?

4. The novel explores the issue of anti-blackness in South Asian communities. Sameer is horrified by his parents‘ reaction to his marriage proposal and embarrassed about his grandfather’s views when reading the letters. How similar do you think Sameer is to his grandfather?

5. Do you think Sameer’s grandchildren would be embarrassed by any of his views?

6. What do you think really happened between Amira and Abdullah? Do you trust Hasan’s narrative, and does he become more reliable by the final letter?

7. Maryam and Zara are the two closest women to Sameer in the novel. To what extent do you think Sameer’s views of women are progressive, if at all?

8. The idea that one race may be superior or inferior because of their physical or biological attributes (‘scientific racism’) is expressed in various characters’ views in both narratives. Where and how do you see this drawn out, and how are these views damaging to those who hold them?

9. Mr. Shah says that ‘You’ll never be anybody if you work for somebody.’ How is the concept of success discussed in the novel? Is it ever defined?

10. Maryam says to Sameer that ‘We have all been affected by British colonialism.‘ To what extent does the legacy of colonialism have an impact on each of the characters in the modern-day narrative?

11. How does Sameer’s relationship with his religion change throughout the novel and what do you think the reason for this is?

12. The political history of Uganda, Idi Amin’s regime, and the expulsion of Asian Ugandans are all told through Hasan’s eyes. How do you think the novel would have differed if the historical narrative had been written from Abdullah’s perspective?

13. By the end of the novel Sameer feels like he understands his parents better. What do you think Sameer has learned that has helped him reach this understanding?