Black Cake

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What were your overall impressions of Black Cake? Discuss what you liked most and least about the book.
• Compare this novel to others in the historical fiction genre, particularly family sagas. Did this book particularly remind you of any other novel?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

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

• Reflect on any part of Black Cake that evoked a strong emotional response (such as Covey’s father’s involvement in a crime syndicate; her fleeing and having to disconnect from her family and friends; the train accident and Covey’s conveniently being misidentified as Eleanor afterward; or the miraculous chance reunion of Covey—as Eleanor—with Gilbert in London). What made the moment so powerful?
• One of the novel’s themes focuses on how secrets can have a corrosive effect. Discuss how this theme relates to your personal views or experiences.
• Another of the novel’s themes concerns the complexity of identity. Explore how the dynamics of personal identity and family have shifted or evolved in your life.
• Explore connections between your experiences and those of the novel’s characters.

3. Societal and Cultural Context

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

• Analyze how Black Cake reflects or comments on the current societal issue of crime syndicates’ insidious influence and the lengths to which people go to disconnect from such organizations.
• Explore how the book’s themes (The Virtue of Endurance, The Reward of Family, The Complexity of Identity, The Corrosive Effect of Secrets, and any others you identified) resonate with today’s world.
• The novel spans many years (from the early 1960s to 2018) and unfolds in several settings (a remote Caribbean island; London, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Southern California in the US). Discuss how these settings and time periods influence or interact with the characters’ stories.

4. Literary Analysis

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

• The novel has named chapters and unfolds from the third-person omniscient point of view. How does this narrative structure impact the story?
• Discuss the development and relatability of the novel’s main characters.
• Explore how each of the novel’s settings contributes to its tone.
• Discuss the novel’s use of symbols and motifs (The Black Cake, The Ocean, The Measuring Cup, Flash Fiction, Motherhood, and any others you identified). What do they represent? Do they relate to specific characters or plot points?
• Examine the novel’s use of literary devices such as foreshadowing or irony.

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If you could adapt Black Cake into a movie, series, or play, which format would you choose and why? Who would you cast in the lead roles? How might you approach scripting, set or production design, costuming, scoring, directing, and other aspects of the project?
• Create a playlist that captures the novel’s mood or themes. Alternatively, develop a playlist from selections that reflect specific characters in the novel.
• Imagine a sequel or continuation of the story. Where do you think the three siblings—Benny, Byron, and Marble, all of whom are the children of Eleanor (Covey) would go next? How would their lives unfold?

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