READERS GUIDE
Reader’s GuidePride and Protest by Nikki Payne
Discussion Questions:
1. A large theme in the book revolves around each character growing to become the person that they want to be. Why is Liza a DJ? Is it a job she loves? Similarly, why is Dorsey a CEO? Is it a job he enjoys?
2. Mother-daughter relationships are fraught with so much tension and expectation. What is at the heart of Bev and Liza’s discord?
3. Why did Liza mistake Dorsey for waitstaff? What does it say about her own views about the world?
4. Dorsey seems to field many microaggressions from people around him. Why was Liza’s mistake particularly egregious?
5. Why doesn’t Dorsey correct Liza once he sees she is mistaken?
6. With her past, why do you think Janae drank at the office?
7. At the Hotel Washington, why is Dorsey so cynical about Liza’s methodology?
8. In Philadelphia, Liza was excited to see WIC, and then something soured. Was it her deeper connection with Dorsey or WIC’s own behavior
that made Liza wary?
9. Another major theme of the book revolves around surface understandings and deeper truth, and how one could look like the other. Social media makes this false reality even easier to believe. What were the differences in Liza’s and Dorsey’s approaches to managing the truth?
10. Why did Liza love the gift in the Tiffany box so much? What does it say about the way Dorsey fulfills her needs? Compare that to the gifts she receives from WIC.
11. Why doesn’t Liza tell anyone about her love for Dorsey?
12. What is Dorsey looking for when he roams Liza’s neighborhood? Does he find it?
13. At the embassy, the next time Liza and Dorsey meet, what has changed?
14. Why does Liza believe it is still over between them even after they shared a passionate night?
15. Do you think Bev and Liza’s relationship will ever change?
