Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
The questions,
discussion topics, and the suggestions for further reading that follow are
designed to enhance your reading group's discussion of
Not a Day Goes By,
a sassy, seductive novel by E. Lynn Harris, one of today's most popular
commercial fiction writers. After making unforgettable appearances in Harris's
bestselling Invisible Life trilogy, ex-football star John Basil Henderson and
ambitious actress Yancey Harrington Braxton take center stage and really strut
their stuff in
Not a Day Goes By.
- Why does Harris reveal the climax of the romance between Basil and
Yancey in the very first chapter? How do his descriptions of Basil's and
Yancey's behavior set the stage for the story that follows?
- Is Basil's explanation of why he loves Yancey [p. 8] a convincing
expression of what constitutes real love? Does his need to conceal parts of his
past undermine the sincerity of his feelings for Yancey? How do his secrets
compare to the secrets many lovers choose to keep from one another?
- "Yancey loved Basil in her own way" [p. 16], Harris
writes. How does Yancey's approach to love differ from Basil's? Is the
compromise she makes ("It's okay to love, but never too hard, or too
much" [pg. 16]) an inevitable outcome of her own upbringing? In what ways
are the other things Yancey does "in her own way"--for example,
sending autographed pictures rather than attending her high school reunion and
refusing to work ordinary jobs to earn money [p. 13]--also a legacy of her
childhood?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Anchor Books.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.