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Swap Dog Kin Discussion GuideOverview Set in the 1930s Mississippi Delta, Swap Dog Kin is a novel of survival, chosen family, and the spiritual cost of healing. Told through the alternating voices of David Lee Brackett, Violet Canary, and Gran Gran, the story traces the tangled paths of race, trauma, queerness, and redemption. General Discussion Questions 1. The Title - What does the title Swap Dog Kin suggest to you? - How does the metaphor of 'swapping dogs' or 'trading kin' resonate throughout the book? 2. Setting as Character - How does the Mississippi Delta shape the events and people in the novel? - Could this story have happened anywhere else? 3. Structure & Voice - The novel blends first-person and third-person limited perspectives. What effect does this have on your understanding of the characters? - How did older David Lee’s voice (when it appears) influence your reading of the past? 4. Racial Boundaries and Blurring - In what ways do the characters uphold or challenge racial boundaries of the time? - How does the novel explore the consequences—both redemptive and dangerous—of crossing those lines? 5. Chosen vs. Inherited Family - Who becomes 'kin' in this novel, and what does that mean to each of the characters? - How do blood ties compare to bonds formed by care, survival, or spirit? 6. Spirituality and Survival - How does faith operate in the book—both as healing and harm? - What’s the difference between Gran Gran’s spiritual wisdom and Royall’s religious performance? 7. Queerness and Silence - How is queerness expressed, hinted at, or concealed in the novel? - What does the book say about shame, secrecy, and identity in a hostile world? Major Characters David Lee Brackett How does David Lee’s relationship with George Hardin shape him, even after George’s death? - What does David Lee seek most: a father, protection, a sense of self? - In what ways does David Lee carry guilt, and how does he try to make sense of it? - How does the experience with the snake (Queen Sheba) reflect deeper emotional or spiritual transformation? Violet Canary -What motivates Violet to seek connection with David Lee and Solomon? - How does her relationship with Gran Gran evolve, and what tensions arise between protection and independence? - In what ways does Violet become a bridge—between Black and white, between child and adult, between this world and another? Granada -Gran Gran is both rooted in tradition and defiant of convention. What role does she play in Shinetown—and in the novel’s moral landscape? - How do her actions reflect a deeper understanding of community survival, particularly when it comes to Solomon? Solomon - Solomon often communicates without words. What do his silences reveal? - How does Solomon change the people around him—especially David Lee and Violet? - What does his albinism symbolize in the world of the novel? Royall Brackett -Royall is often described as volatile, damaged, and dangerous, but he is also charismatic and capable of commanding a crowd. What drives his behavior—grief, guilt, power, mental illness, or something else? -How does Royall’s religious revivalism function within the novel? Is it sincere belief, opportunism, madness, or some combination? How does his version of faith contrast with Gran Gran’s or even George Hardin’s quiet moral code? -What role does Royall play in shaping David Lee’s identity? Consider both the psychological wounds he inflicts and the moral boundaries he pushes David Lee to define for himself. Final Reflections - What moment in the book struck you as the most emotionally powerful or unexpected? - What do you think happens to David Lee and Violet beyond the novel’s final pages? - If you could ask the author one question, what would it be? Optional Activity Write a letter from one character to another—one that was never sent. For example: - David Lee to George Hardin - Violet to her future self - Solomon to his mother |
