The Sicilian Inheritance

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Did you enjoy the novel’s depiction of cross-generational connections between granddaughters and deceased grandparents? In what ways did it resonate with you?
• How did Sara transform as a character throughout the novel and her journey across Sicily? What positive traits did she develop or enhance?
• Consider Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. How do both novels depict cross-generational relationships between women? How are they different and alike?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

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

• How does the theme of emotional legacy and inheritance make you reflect on your own familial legacy? Do you share similar stories of connection to a distant or deceased relative?
• Consider the societal violence depicted in the novel. Which section did you find most difficult to read or digest? Did these scenes surprise you, given the contemporary setting of the novel?
• Did Sara’s sense of loss—her career, her marriage, and her aunt—lead you to reflect on any area of or period in your own life? If so, how did this experience enhance your understanding of Sara as a character? If not, how did you perceive the effects of her recent losses?
• Cultural values and traditions play a central role in the novel. How much do these themes resonate with you as a reader?
• Serafina was a pillar of her community, particularly for women and children. Does her women-centric community resemble any community you have been a part of?

3. Societal and Cultural Context 

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

• The novel discusses clashes between traditionally dominant male groups and women-centric communities in early 1900s Sicily. Do you see similar tension in the society you live in?
• The novel is open about some of the potential difficulties of pregnancy. How has public rhetoric and law surrounding pregnancy changed since the early 1900s?
• Infidelity in unhealthy or unloving relationships is key to the novel. In Serafina’s life, infidelity was unforgivable for a woman. Historically and culturally, how has the subject of public infidelity changed for women from the early 1900s to the present?

4. Literary Analysis

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

• Is the book’s non-linear structure, weaving back and forth between the past and present, effective in conveying its themes and characterization? How does this structure enhance a sense of cross-generational unity?
• Consider the symbol of the Russo family estate. What does the land represent to both Serafina and Sara?
• How do the vivid, multisensory descriptions of Sicily affect your reading experience? Did Sara’s training as a chef and position as a narrator enhance these descriptions?
• Did you find the revelation of Serafina’s secret relocation to the US surprising, or did the narrative structure foreshadow her survival? What events or interactions signaled her secret escape?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Create a playlist for Serafina made up of 1900s Sicilian folk music. Then, reread one of her sections while listening to your playlist. Does the soundtrack change the reading experience? Discuss your experience with your group.
• Imagine Sara’s life after returning to New York. What do you think her life might look like one year after the events in the text?

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