Good Enough – A Novel

by Vonna Ivory Joseph

 

  How did you experience the book? Were you engaged immediately, or did it take you a while to "get into it"? How did you feel reading it—amused, 
sad, disturbed, confused, bored...?

 

  Choose a main character—
• Why do characters do what they do? 
• Are their actions justified?
• Describe the dynamics between characters (in a
   marriage, family, or friendship). 
• How has the past shaped their lives? 
• Do you admire or disapprove of them? 
• Do they remind you of people you know?
 

  Are the main characters dynamic—changing or maturing by the end of the book? Do they learn about themselves, how the world works and their role in it?

 

  What main ideas—themes—does the author explore? (Consider the title, often a clue to a theme.)  Family, Heritage, Friendship, Love 

 

  What passages strike you as insightful, even profound? Perhaps a bit of dialog that's funny or poignant or that encapsulates a character? Maybe there's a particular comment that states the book's thematic concerns?

 

Consider/Discuss:

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 The men in this story are not "masters of the situations of life"; they have allowed events to control them and consequently lead them to make some questionable decisions.

 

 The rescue acts as a symbol of male/female sexual roles.  Camisha who is usually in control at home and at work finds herself helpless in her domain (the shop) and requires saving.  The rescue leads to a passionate sexual experience. Was the sex gratitude, release, compensation?  What did the rescue symbolize for Ali?

 

 James was once attracted to Camilla, but also feared her.  Was Camilla’s perceived power real or did he use her personality as an excuse to avoid something?