Did you get the impression that he is on the path to change? Why or why not?ĩ. Troy is the only sibling not present at the party that takes place the end of the novel. Why do you think Lelah is drawn to David, and why does David not break things off when he finds out about Lelah staying on Yarrow Street?Ĩ. Lelah and David become close very quickly. How might her role as the youngest have contributed to her addiction to gambling? Do you think she has truly turned a corner by the novel’s end?ħ. As the baby, Lelah thinks she has missed out on many of the best moments and secrets in Turner family history. What is your impression of Viola when you first meet her in the novel, and how does that impression change over time?Ħ. Alice describes Cha-Cha as the prime minister of his family, and Viola as the queen she has the title, but is not concerned with day-to-day governance. Do you agree with her observation? What might the haint provide to Cha-Cha that he otherwise lacks in his life?ĥ. 241), Alice tells Cha-Cha that she thinks his haint has made him feel extraordinary, and that she doesn’t think he really wants to let it go. In what ways does Cha-Cha’s view of himself as the leader prevent his siblings from trusting or respecting him?Ĥ. Cha-Cha sees himself as the patriarch of the family, but he also has trouble getting his siblings to listen to him. How does the city itself contribute to the story of the Turner family? Can you imagine a similar story taking place elsewhere, or is the story inextricably tied to Detroit?ģ. The city of Detroit plays a large role in the way characters see themselves, particularly for Francis Turner in the 1940s. What does it mean to “belong” in a group? How do characters come to terms with their own feelings of belonging by the end of the novel?Ģ. Throughout the book, characters struggle with the concept of belonging-to blood relations, in-laws, and even the city of Detroit.

The turner house book