READERS GUIDE

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. What would you say was your most significant take-away from the story? What surprised you the most?

2. Who was your favorite character, and why? Which characters—if any—did you identify with, and why?

3. For much of the novel, one of Venus’s primary emotions seems to be anger at her mother. How did her anger both help and hurt Venus on her journey toward healing?

4. The novel deals with some very dark subjects—child abuse, murder, kidnapping—and explores deep personal losses for many of the characters. Did the story strike you as unrelentingly bleak or depressing? If not, why?

5. Themes like innocence, guilt, forgiveness, and redemption are delved into for many of the characters in the book. How would you define Leo’s role and the theme that it represents?

6. Did Raymond deserve to die? If not, what would justice look like for him?

7. Most stories require some kind of villain—and we have a clear one in Raymond. But what about Tinker? He kidnapped Leo, robbing Inez of her son and depriving Venus of her brother for six years. In your view, is Tinker just as evil as Raymond? What do you think became of Tinker after he abandoned Leo?

8. Why do you think Tessa became so quickly enamored of Leo? How realistic did you find Tony’s willingness to illegally adopt Leo?

9. At first Venus resists getting too involved with Piper, but they soon develop a strong bond. Why do you think their relationship became so important to Venus?

10. Soon after the Seattle Times reporter blows Venus’s cover at the Dipper, Venus shows up on Inez’s doorstep. Were you surprised at the way that evening between them unfolded? If so, in what way?

11. Inez’s point of view isn’t revealed until late in the story. Why do you think the author chose to wait until then? How did knowing Inez’s point of view change the way you saw her?

12. When Venus returns to her old bedroom in the basement, she relives the series of painful events that led to her crime. What did the scene reveal about Venus, Inez, and Raymond that you didn’t know? What emotions did you feel while you were reading it?

13. When the story closes, Venus and Inez have established a new relationship. But we don’t know for certain that Venus has fully forgiven her mom. Do you think she has? So many adult children are estranged from their parents. Why do you think a parent’s failures are so hard to forgive?

14. How do you feel Leo brought two disparate families together? Do you think Inez should have forgiven Tony and Tessa for keeping Leo?

15. Would you say that, in the end, My Name Is Venus Black is an uplifting and hopeful story or a cautionary tale of abuse? Or both?