Discussion Questions


All That She Carried

By Tiya Miles

May 16, 2023

The author says she brings together many fields of study to piece together this history, including environmental studies, African American studies, slavery studies, women’s history studies, and material culture studies.

Were you surprised at how much information about the past the author was able to unearth from one artifact? 

What did you think of her research?

Is she convincing or do you think she took too many liberties piecing together the narrative?

Can you think of any items from your own family history that can be connected to several generations like this?

Do you have any stories about family heirlooms you can share with the group? We’d love to hear some stories from you all!

What, if anything, did you learn about the people or time periods covered in this book? While we might be familiar with some classic slave narratives, the stories of Black women’s experiences aren’t as well represented.

Was there anything specific in these stories that stood out to you?

Which of the women did you find the most interesting?

What did you find to be the most interesting parts of the book as a whole?

Compare this book to others you have read, or past book club books.

What books did it remind you of?

Did you like it more or less than other similar books?

What did you think of the writing style? Did it help you get into the book or distract from the content?

What do you think will be your lasting impression of the book as a whole?

Were you glad you read it?

Would you recommend it to a friend?

Do you want to read more works about this subject?

What did you like or dislike about the book that hasn’t been discussed already?