Brown Girl Dreaming

How is Jacqueline different from Odella, her older sister? How are they similar? How do you think that the differences between them give Jacqueline strength?

Jacqueline’s name is the result of a compromise between her parents (as well as some last-minute sneakiness on the part of her mother). What do you think that the argument over her name reveals about the differences between them, and about their different expectations for their daughter? 

Jacqueline has a complicated bond with the South, where she spends her early childhood. What do you think she loves about it, and what do you think she finds difficult? Do you think that her feelings about the South change over time? In what ways?