Reading Group Questions

The novel begins with the death of Jean’s sister during a state of emergency. What role does death play in The True History of Paradise?

To what extent is this novel about colonialism?

What was your perception of Jamaica before reading The True History of Paradise?

How, if at all, was it changed by reading the book?

How does Jean’s ancestry and cultural heritage inform her actions?

Is Cezair- Thompson present in the narrative voice?

Do we hear the writer expressing her own opinions through the novel’s action and dialogue?

Maternal relationships are central to this story. What kind of a mother is Monica?

How does the factual history of the novel inform and shape the fictional action?

Discuss the notion of ‘home’ in the novel.

Further Reading

THE PIRATE’S DAUGHTER – Margaret Cezair-Thompson
SMALL ISLAND – Andrea Levy
THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS – Anita Amirrezvani
BRUISED HISBISCUS – Elizabeth Nunez
PROSPERO’S DAUGHTER: A NOVEL – Elizabeth Nunez
JOHN CROW’S DEVIL – Marlon James
WAITING IN VAIN – Colin Channer
ONE PEOPLE – Guy Kennaway.

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