discussion questions

1. At the heart of The Untelling is the question of how to deal with the past. Aria tries to choose between her mother’s approach that a traumatic even can never be overcome and her sister’s idea that a person has to put the past behind her. In this novel, which way of dealing with the past is more effective?
2. For much of the novel, Aria is afraid to tell Dwayne her terrible secret. How do you think he would have reacted if she had told him the truth, right up front?
3. Aria and Rochelle live in a neighborhood that is in the middle of urban-renewal. Are there such neighborhoods in your community? What are the pros and cons of such projects?
4. Aria and her sisters were all given unusual names by their parents. Keisha, the young mother, has her own ideas about the best way to name a child. What are your thoughts about this subject?
5. Keisha becomes very angry when she thinks that Lawrence may want to adopt her baby. Who do you think would be the better parent?
6. Whenever Aria’s mother becomes angry with her, she says, “This is not what Dr. King died for.” What is the role of history in this novel? What historical event “haunts” your own life?
7. At the end of the story, Aria’s mother confesses her own terrible secret. Does this make you feel more sympathetic to her? Does it justify her behavior toward her daughters?
8. Infertility is a subject that is talked about “behind closed doors”. Why do you think there is such a cultural stigma on the subject? Why do you think there has been so little discussion on this issue, especially in the ways that it affects African-American women?
9. The novel’s ending is sort of open-ended. What do you think will become of Aria in terms of her relationship with her family? Dwayne? Keisha?
10. How do you interpret the title of the novel?

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1. As you probably know, Leaving Atlanta, is set against the backdrop of an actual historical event, The Atlanta Child Murders. Do you remember these murders? Did you know about them before reading Leaving Atlanta?
2. The novel is divided into three sections, each with a different point of view. How did this affect your experience reading the novel? Which section was your favorite and why?
3. The author, Tayari Jones, was herself a fifth-grader during the Atlanta Child Murders. Why do you think that she uses “herself” as a character in the novel.
4. Although this is a novel about a specific historical moment, much of the novel is about the day-to-day life of a fifth grade class. Were there moments in the story that reminded you of your own childhood? What things were different?
5. One of the most powerful moments in the novel comes at the end of the second section. Do you think that Rodney Green purposely puts himself into the killer’s hands?
6. The three children in this novel all have very different home lives. Which parents do the best job with their children? What do you think is the best way to explain tragedy to young people?
7. The issue of social/economic class is very important in Leaving Atlanta. In your reading of this piece, how did you see economic class as a factor in the children’s lives?
8. For the author, Tayari Jones, the Atlanta Child Murders were a defining moment in her childhood. She has said in an interview that: “This is when found out how the world worked. That children could die. That there were people who would want to hurt you for no reason at all. But it was also when I found out that there were people who we didn’t even know, who would do whatever they could to keep us safe.” Was there a moment in your own childhood that caused you to look at the word with a more grown-up perception?
9. The character, Mrs. Greir, makes a big difference in Octavia’s life. Did you have a special relationship with a teacher in your life? How do you think that student-teacher relationship has changed over the years?
10. In the first section, Tasha’s father is very upset that no one has taught the children about the history of civil rights and racial violence. Do you think that it is good to share such information with young children?

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