The Good Braider

The Good Braider by Terry Farish is the story of a young girl from Sudan, but the bulk of the story takes place right here in Portland, Maine.

That's because Viola, the protagonist, is forced to flee Sudan amidst the violence of a civil war. After traveling many miles and spending time in a refugee camp in Cairo, Egypt, Viola and her mother finally get the papers they need to resettle as refugees in the United States—in Portland.

The Good Braider gets to the heart of what it was like for Viola to leave her home and adjust to life in a brand new place with a different culture, different people, different smells, tastes, and sounds. It's a journey that takes great courage and requires great resilience, and Farish's fictional character, Viola, tells it well.

As we discuss The Good Braider, we'll talk about what it means to be a refugee and how refugees come to be resettled in places like Maine. We'll also talk about the structure of the book, its themes, symbols, and motifs, the characters, and any questions or comments that arise. And, since Kennedy Park figures so prominently in the story, we may even step outside and take a look around the neighborhood to see what's what.

To prepare for our discussion, please complete one of the assignments below and come ready to share your thoughts with the group.

Potential Assignments

Option #1: Theme-o-rama
A theme is a central idea in a book, poem, short story, film, song, painting—essentially any creative work. The following themes are all prominent in The Good Braider:

• Cultural traditions and acculturation
• Family relationships, particularly between mothers and daughters
• Personal resilience
• The power of education
• Immigration and refugee resettlement
• Friendship
• Loyalty
• The importance of community

Choose one of these themes (or one of your own—there are others). Explain how your theme shows up in the book and what the book seems to say about it.

Option #2: What's up with the title?
Why "The Good Braider"? What do braids have to do with anything? Who is the good braider? What does it mean to be a good braider? Where do braids show up in the novel? Focus in on the title and dig deep to uncover its meaning and how it is woven into the story. (You see what I did there?)

Options #3: Life is an Obstacle Course
Viola and her mother flee violence, war, and poverty in Sudan. They overcome many obstacles to get to America, but in America they find new obstacles. Think about the obstacles Viola and her mother (and other characters from Sudan) face in their new home. Then write an essay, a poem, a couple of paragraphs; draw a picture; make a collage; create a poster; do something to explain, illustrate, or highlight the obstacles they face in establishing themselves in Portland, Maine.

Option #4: Inter(al)lude
Sorry. I couldn't come up with a better name for this one. In any case, there are many allusions to other books, songs, and poems in The Good Braider. (Psst! A lot of them, in my book at least, are on page 85.) Choose one of more of these allusions and find the book, poem, hymn, or author in question. Learn about your chosen allusion and try to determine why Farish chose to include a reference to it in her book.

Option #5: Reader's Choice
As always, if this book inspires you to write, create, craft, or ponder anything in particular, do that! And come to the discussion ready to share your musings with the group.

That's it for now. Happy reading!