CAUTION! There is a possibility that the following questions may reveal key information in the book. Therefore, if you haven’t yet read this book, but are planning on it, you may wish to proceed with caution to avoid spoiling the experience later.
1. Did the author come across as loving the United States or disliking the United States in your opinion?
2. Did the author often seem harsh in her criticisms of certain subject matters or did she tell it like it is? Would you agree it was necessary not to sugar-coat these issues, for example, single parenthood, teenage pregnancy, obesity in America? How does the author’s background as an MD factor into some of her views or her expression of them?
3. Did she paint a balanced picture of the locations referenced in the book or do you feel she painted a great picture of her country Nigeria in comparison to the US? What does her opening statement in chapter one say to you: “I came to this country with $300 to my name…”
4. Did the author communicate why global exposure is important accurately or did it come across as putting Americans down for loving their country so much they often do not see the need to leave the shores of the US?
5. Do you agree with her views on gender roles and submission in marriage? Does she come across as a yes woman when it comes to her man?
6. What is your general opinion of the advice to single women? Did the author appear to blame it all on the women and not enough on badly behaved men? Or did she just seem to be directing the advice at women because the book mainly targets women and though men are often badly behaved, women are also ultimately responsible for their actions and need to switch up the rules for a different outcome?
7. Was the author successful in communicating a message of hope and empowerment in this book? Did she communicate the importance of family values and the stability an intact family affords? If so, how and where do you think she did this? If not, what message do you think she communicated instead?
8. Did the author paint a clear picture of the relationship between success later in life and self esteem and self worth instilled from childhood? Do you agree with this implied connection?
9. Do you agree that kids need both parents if we can help it? With the absence of fathers being off the charts according to recent statistics in the African American community, would you agree that some of the societal issues in both sexes stem directly from this –with boys having no men or male role model to show them how to be a man and girls not having a father to show them what a real man is in the home, and help instill early self worth and self esteem?
10. What is your opinion about the author’s take on racial issues and mixed race Americans? Do you agree with her or do you believe that once you are not fully white, you are black and we should continue to view it this way?
11. Would you describe this book as a self help motivational book as the author does; a memoir like some reviewers have described it, or both? Would you even consider it a journal of sorts like a book club review mentioned?
12. What insights if any did you gain from the book being written from the perspective of someone who has viewed America from within and without? Did you have any “Aha” moments and what were they?
